The Beatles
The Beatles were a pop rock group from Liverpool, England. They are frequently cited as the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed band in modern history, with innovative music, a cultural impact that helped define the 1960s and an enormous influence on music that is still felt today. After conquering Europe, with successful tours to Germany and Sweden, the Beatles led the mid-1960s musical 'British Invasion' into the United States. Although their initial musical style was rooted in 1950s rock and roll and homegrown skiffle, the group explored a great variety of musical styles including Psychedelic Rock, Experimental, Ballads, Western and Indian Classical among others. Their clothes, hairstyles, and statements made them trend-setters, while their growing social awareness saw their influence extend into the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s.
Early on, the band consisted of George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Stuart Sutcliffe, and Pete Best (drums). The band got its first major break playing in Hamburg, Germany, at some rather seedy nightclubs, beginning in 1960. While in Germany, they also met Klaus Voormann, who would later design the cover of the group's 1966 album Revolver. Stuart remained in Germany after the others decided to return to England, and became engaged to fellow artist Astrid Kirchherr, only to die a few years later of a brain hemorrhage.
The Beatles Links...
Official website
British Beatles Fan Club
MySpace page
NME page
Rare Beatles Stories website
Wikipedia page
Read a classic article on The Beatles
Courtesy of Rock's Backpages
The Beatles tour of London
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Selcol ‘New Beat’ toy guitar 'Ringo' toy snare drum Authentic Beatle wig, The Beatles talc, lunchbox and flask
During Beatlemania a massive amount of merchandise was produced to satisfy demand from fans. Everything from wigs, outfits and combs to talc, jewellery and toys were created with a Beatles theme. English toy manufacturer Selcol produced a number of plastic instruments which displayed images and autographs of the band. Curiously these plastic instruments are now very valuable - because they were so cheap and disposable no-one ever thought they'd be worth anything and, consequently, very few have survived.
Grey jacket worn by Ringo Starr
This jacket is typical of the A Hard Day’s Night suits with velvet trim collars worn by The Beatles. In an era when a band's image was controlled by the managers and bands themselves – and not an entourage of stylists and personal shoppers - these outfits were chosen to appeal to their hordes of female fans and a wider family audience. The suits were the brainchild of manager Brian Epstein and their tailor Dougie Millings. He produced about 500 garments for The Beatles including the iconic collarless suit, often using sketch ideas by Paul McCartney
Hofner 500/1 bass guitar presented to Paul McCartney
This guitar was presented to Paul McCartney in 1964, following an agreement between Brian Epstein and Selmer that McCartney would endorse their new range of bass guitars with a personalised tag attached to the neck. Once the presentation had been made to McCartney, it subsequently went missing – it is claimed that Selmer either kept it back for exhibition purposes or it was sent to McCartney and lost on the way – but resurfaced years later.
A Hard Day’s Night film programme, lobby cards, ticket and book Help! film programme, lobby cards, ticket and book
The Beatles starred in two feature films in the 1960s - A Hard Day’s Night (1964) and Help! (1965). Although pop stars had taken to the big screen before, The Beatles were the first to feature in a comedy, play out their own life in the script and use their album as the soundtrack. Both films were box office smash hits throughout the world, further helping to consolidate The Beatles’ global success.
The Official Beatles Fan Club National Newsletter Magazine, signed letter and two Christmas records
The Official Beatles Fan Club was set up by Anne Collingham, Bettina Rose, Yvonne Sainsbury, Tony Catchpole and Mike Crowther-Smith to meet demand from fans. Run from headquarters in Monmouth Street, London, they published newsletter updates on the band, circulated signed letters and Christmas flexi-discs and became the recipient of sack after sack of Beatles fan mail. The Beatles themselves even visited from time to time to sign the stacks of photographs and to look at their fan mail.
Two pages from a Hamburg sketchbook and two photographs of Stuart Sutcliffe taken by Astrid Kirchherr
Stuart Sutcliffe joined Lennon, McCartney and Harrison on bass in 1960, when their group was called The Silver Beetles. In 1961 he toured with the newly renamed The Beatles in Hamburg, where he met photographer Astrid Kirchherr. Sutcliffe left the group later that year to pursue an art degree at the Hamburg School of Art. His abstract expressionist work, encouraged by the tutelage of Eduardo Paolozzi, gained recognition in the art world.
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Alexis Korner
Alexis Korner is often described as ‘the founding father of British blues’ and inspired a new generation of musicians such as Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page and Rod Stewart. This French ladies guitar was bought secondhand in the early 1950s when Korner wanted to move away from jazz and learn to play the blues.
