BS: Influenced by the Beatles?

Subject: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: 53
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 08:45 AM

Influenced by the Beatles

1962 through 1966 I was strongly influenced and inspired by the Beatles' music. I would listen over and over on my record player trying to figure out songs. I would ask my guitar teacher to help me with certain songs. To this day I enjoy playing their music along with their recordings or just sitting listening to them for hours ...

They played rock and roll, rhythm & blues, motown, folk, and country. Some of it cover, some original. Many guitarists credit the Beatles with influencing them.

How many of you have also been influenced by them?

Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: Midchuck
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 09:03 AM

It has been said that all modern (post-mid-sixties) rock is derivative of the Beatles. The Beatles, in turn, freely acknowledged their debt to the Everly Brothers in terms or their vocal arrangements and harmonies. Anyone who has listened to old Everly Brothers and old Louvin Brothers recordings can notice that the Everlys derived a lot of their duet techniques from the Louvins.

Ira Louvin is deceased, and not available for punishment.

Therefore: Charlie Louvin is to blame for modern rock.

Let's Git 'im!

Peter.

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 09:05 AM

To be honest, I think everyone here (whether they admit it or not) has been influenced by the Beatles.

The Beatles basically changed the entire face of popular music.

They played the first stadium concert, made the first video (way before Queen did), changed standard recording practices, changed the nature of the album, put lyrics on the sleeve for the first time, etc, etc.

It could even be argued that they invented 'world music'

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: Peter T.
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 10:07 AM

George Harrison remarked that it was Carl Perkins' "Honey Don't" that made the Beatles think that you could move chords around in weird ways. Carl is responsible. Or Arthur Alexander. No, Chuck Berry. Chuck Berry.

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: Matt_R
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 10:21 AM

YES I AM!

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: Les from Hull
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 10:28 AM

Midchuck - I read somewhere (it might have been an Everly Brother quoted) that the Louvin Brothers were inspired by the Delmore Brothers. So I'll see your Louvin and raise you a Delmore!

Actually it is nice to remember when number one in the singles chart was something you could listen to, something with a meaningful lyric, something that had lasting musical value, something that had more than three chords (or any chords at all!)

Any road up, whoever is responsible for modern rock - I'd like to shake him by the hand. Unless it's that dead bloke, of course!

Les

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: Jim Cheydi
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 10:32 AM

Steve Jones just about summed it up. "People often ask me the difference between us and the beatles. I was only a nipper when the Beatles was going, but I was f##king glad when they broke up."

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: John P
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 11:27 AM

I used to work with a another guy that liked to play Beatles songs. One night at a company party we started playing all the old Beatles material we could think of and everyone started singing along. The interesting part was that everyone in the room, from the eight-year-olds to the grandparents knew most of the words to all the songs. And this was most of 30 years after the band broke up.

John Peekstok

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: English Jon
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 11:28 AM

All the charms of Sycorax, toads, bats, beatles light on you.

Shakespeare.

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: GUEST,Frogmore
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 01:51 PM

I was traveling through Spain in the early 70s and was amazed at how many Spaniards were learning English because of Beatles lyrics. I've always believed that learning should be fun.

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 02:30 PM

MY British invasion, was Jethro Tull...

;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 05:57 PM

I remember Jethro Tull. The guys I was living with in the early 70's used to play Aqualung what seemed like 20 times a day. I...um...well, I grew to hate it, I'm sorry to say.

The Beatles influenced me to some degree, but only in sort of a peripheral sense. They influenced Dylan, of course, but I think not as much as he influenced them.

There's one to debate about...

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: Ebbie
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 06:55 PM

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah

I wanna hol' your hand

Yep. Deathless.

:)

Ebbie

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: Grab
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 06:58 PM

"Something that had meaningful lyrics and more than 3 chords". Like "She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah", maybe? And don't get me started on stuff like "Octopus's garden" or "I am the walrus"... :-) The only "meaningful" Beatles song I can think of offhand is "Eleanor Rigby".

Graham.

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 07:44 PM

You don't find "goo goo goo joob" meaningful????!!!

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: Matt_R
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 11:19 PM

Whack fol the diddle aye-ay

Fa la la la la lay-o

Yep.

Deathless.

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: SDShad
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 11:43 PM

The first verse and chorus of "She's Leaving Home":

  Wednesday morning at five o'clock as the day begins  Silently closing her bedroom door  Leaving the note that she hoped would say more  She goes downstairs to the kitchen  Clutching her handkerchief  Quietly turning the backdoor key  Stepping outside she is free    

She    We gave her most of our lives  Is leaving    Sacrificed most of our lives  Home    We gave her everything money could buy  She's leaving home after living alone for so many years    Bye, bye    

Yep.

Deathless.

I learned to harmonize from singing along with Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel records from the age of five. Influenced? Yeah, you could say so. The Beatles were the creators of some of the most sophisticated and satisfying rock 'n' roll ever made.

Chris

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: SDShad
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 11:45 PM

Crap. I thought the preformat tags would leave in line breaks. Is there a Joe Clone in the house?

Chris

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: GUEST,KingBrilliant
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 06:30 AM

I can't stand Beatles songs performed by the Beatles - but I love them once they've been through someone else. The songs themselves are wonderful, and its only a personal taste thing why I don't like the Beatles' singing.
As mentioned above - they are kind of a universal point of contact for a vast majority of people. My Japanese friend absolutely adores them - most of the English language songs he knows are Beatles numbers.
So they do have huge ongoing influence globally.

Kris

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 09:45 AM

Muddy Waters invented the modern rock band consisting of electric Guitars, rythm and lead, Bass & drums. Beatles were also heavily influenced by Chuck Berry, George Harrison was influenced by Chet Atkins and lets not forget the band for whom the Beatles were named, Buddy Holly's Crickets.

The Beatles were an amazing combination of talents, Lennon McCartney, The most successful and maybe the best songwriting team ever. George also wrote some songs which would be career makers for lesser bands. All of them had great personalities an stage presence. The did not confine them selves to any genre. They did teen pop, Rock & Roll, Protest songs, love ballads and some great children's songs. Their lyrics were thoughtful memorable and very catchy. Their music deceptively simple and fun to play.

Yes the Beatles have been a major influence, by setting the standard so high that few others have approached it.

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: Kim C
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 10:23 AM

It was by listening to the Beatles that I learned to pick out and sing harmony parts. Specifically the song "If I Fell." Once I licked that, well, the rest is history. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: GUEST,Timothy Cameron
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 12:57 PM

I am told by my parents that when I was a toddler in my playpen, I'd pay a lot of attention to my toys when the news was on the radio, but as soon as a Beatles song came on, I'd be dancing around like a fiend. My aunt had a Beatles album, and we'd visit her every week or two, and EVERY time we visited, I'd ask her to put that album on. When I was four, she finally just gave me the bloody thing! I remember thinking that when I grew up I could replace one of the original members if they retired. Shades of Menudo...Anyway, got a guitar at twelve, got a Beatles songbook at thirteen, got a better (ie "more accurate") Beatles songbook at fourteen, learned my first lessons in song structure from those books, hated disco, was overjoyed when all those new-wave/power-pop bands surfaced in the early 80s, stayed home from school December 9th and 10th 1980 because I couldn't be bothered dealing with the world, bought a Rickenbacker, bought a Hofner, and I'm STILL playing those songs at gigs...Incredible the influence those four total strangers can have on one, isn't it...

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: Fortunato
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 01:08 PM

Musical influence, no. Tonsorial influence, yes.
regards, Fortunato

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: rush
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 03:44 PM

Well, I'll admit that the Beatles had and STILL have a great affect on my playing and writing. Their incredible impact on popular music will never be challenged in my lifetime . Mike Strobel

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: GUEST,Walking Eagle
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 03:54 PM

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: GUEST,Walking Eagle
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 04:01 PM

You betcha! Story is that when they played Memphis in '66 they wanted to meet the stars that recorded for Stax and Sun after the evening performance. They got to meet some of them. SO, not only did the Beatles INFLUENCE others including American artists, American (and other cultures) influenced them. What goes around, comes around.

My Favorite? A Day in the Life.

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: kendall
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 04:29 PM

How did they influence me? NOT IN THE LEAST!

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: GUEST,Walking Eagle
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 04:34 PM

Also recall that they broke that invisible time barrier on 45 recordings. It probably would have fallen sooner or later anyway. Performers now take it for granted that they can sing and record a song of any length. So, ALL have been influenced in a back door sort of way, whether we record or just listen.

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 05:47 PM

My evolutionary timeline goes like this.

American Southland blues (Robert Johnson & others) -> Ledbetter -> Pete Seeger ->Weavers ->Kingston Trio -> Peter, Paul & Mary -> Dylan -> Dylan+Drugs ->Lennon ->Beatles ->nuclear musical explosion manifesting in great, scary,social and political upheavel.

For each arrow above substitute, "picked up, added to and passed along by. . ."

Simplistic! Leaves out major elements of the standard rollcall (Perkins, Everly, Berry, Holly & Presley).

I never accepted that list.

I think it was just a way of keeping interviewers from getting too personal.

In terms of what ultimately produced Revolver, etc. it was simple steps, yet it was the sum of what went before.

Beatles influenced everything, but not the four who first pranced across Sullivan's stage, that merely established the fame (ala the Kingston Trio).

It was Lennon emerging from encounters with Dylan + Drugs. Lennon, who then infected or innnoculated his partner, you pick, and the other elements simply all came together. Contributions from each element in the timeline made up the final product.

I left out Brian Wilson who affected and was affected in the same way as the Beatles but evolved in a different, though just as dangerous direction. His raising of the bar of acceptable musicianship had a profound affect on McCartney while Lennon was under the tutelage of Bob.

Though not a succesful as the Beatles it should be noted that he was forced to be his own George Martin, and did not enjoy the loyalty and support from within that was Lennons.

David Crosby said the beatles were the product of the coming together of great music, born of US Southern gospel/blues, great lyrics, born in NYC circa early 60's, great stuff to sing about born out of Rosa Parks and the death of JFK) amid the catalysts of war and drugs.

He should know, the Byrds were an essential part of that explosion, with drugs the fallout.

Of course I know that drugs and liquor were key elements from the beginning, but the point is, to compose lyrics that expose as much of yourself as Dylan convinced Lennon was necessary, a higher level of support became essential.

I've heard some describe writing at a level that personal, as cutting yourself and letting the world watch you bleed.

Thats what it took to let the world know this was more than just words and business.

Which it has now become!

Which explains why Joplin and others perished as a result of that influence (thread title), but not so much anymore.

Anyway I lived through most of it, know the tunes of the key players and that's how I see it.

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 06 Jul 01 - 02:12 PM

Guest, great post. Now WHO the heck are you?!

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: rush
Date: 06 Jul 01 - 03:40 PM

Dear Guest, You have named some great songwriters , Lenon & McCartney, The Byrds , Brian Wilson , Dylan , etc. etc. However these folks were incredibly talented and many of them Dylan, McGuinn and McCartney are living proof of this, today. Don't fool yourself that drugs helped these folks to be great writers . ( We all thought that in the sixties , although some of the good ones just never survived ).

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: Midchuck
Date: 06 Jul 01 - 08:28 PM

Also recall that they broke that invisible time barrier on 45 recordings...

Nahhh. Marty Robbins, El Paso. Three or four years before Beatles were heard of, in US, anyway.

Peter.

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: richlmo
Date: 06 Jul 01 - 10:08 PM

Anyone born after 1950 who says they weren't influenced by the Beatles has a pretty poor memory. ( That does make us at least 50!!) People come along once in a while like Elvis who change the face of music, but Beatlemania was probably the only time in history when a musician(s) changed the World!! Music ( of course ), fashion, religious and political views and the general acceptance of drugs and the whole lifestyle that was created by that! Who would have ever heard of Ravi Shankar ? How about Leon Russell? Maybe even James Taylor! The Beatles changed everything!! I still think "Yesterday" is still a helluva good song!

Subject: RE: BS: Influenced by the Beatles?
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Jul 01 - 10:57 PM

I was listening during those early TV shows in the US...I decided VERY quickly I didn't want to hold their hands.