in contrast to the typical rock act that establishes a style and clings
with it to retain their popularity, the Beatles took a different position
freedom to experiment ... with music and drugs
"Yesterday" - song was intended for acoustic guitar & vocal
Martin suggested string quartet
pure "pop" music
McCartney woke up with the tune running through his head
thought it was a familiar jazz standard, but none of his friends could
identify it!!
Albums & songs released during this period:
Rubber Soul (#1, late 1965)
Nowhere Man
Michelle
In My Life
Yesterday & Today (#1, 1966) - a US release
due to musical & production complexity, Beatles recordings were taking longer
their American label assembled this recording to fill the gap between Rubber Soul and Revolver
made up of singles & extra UK album tracks, including "Nowhere Man" (Rubber Soul, UK) and "I'm Only Sleeping" (Revolver, UK)
Revolver (#1, 8/66)
Eleanor Rigby
I'm Only Sleeping
listen to backwards guitar solo at 1:32
Yellow Submarine
Yellow Submarine demo (with John Lennon singing lead vocals)
Got to Get You Into My Life
Tomorrow Never Knows
Here's a great (but brief) Rolling Stone article about the conception of "Tomorrow Never Knows" and, really, the entire Revolver album.
"Penny Lane" (#1, 3/67) & "Strawberry Fields Forever"
(#8, 3/67) - 2-sided single; later included on Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
Strawberry Fields (demo)
during this period (in an interview with Maureen Kleeve, Evening Standard),
John commented that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus:
"Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue with that: I’m right and will be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now: I don’t know which will go first: rock ‘n’ roll or Christianity." (Feb. 1966)
public backlash, finally forcing him to apologize
"Beatle burnings" - books, records, etc.
8/29/66 - last live performance at Candlestick
Park (San Francisco)
felt that playing concerts was "not fun anymore" (McCartney)
"can't develop when no one can hear us." (McCartney)
Photos of the Beatles Performing at Candlestick Park (Aug. 29, 1966)
These photos were taken at Candlestick Park by Jim Marshall, a renowned photographer in rock history,
and published in Rolling Stone magazine.
