Music 351: The Beatles - The Pete Best Era (1961-1962)
Introduction
During 1961, the Beatles logged hundreds more hours performing onstage in both Liverpool & Hamburg
learned many new songs, building their musical repertoire
developed strong and more varied guitar techniques & ensemble skills
nurtured a strong rapport with their listeners, building a growing, loyal fan base
By the end of 1961, the Beatles ...
had a recognizable persona
were focusing their talent on musical creativity (composing & performing their own, original music
had a manager (Brian Epstein) who would take them to lasting world fame within a two-year period!
released their first single, "Love Me Do"
1961-1962 Original Releases (British unless specified otherwise):
Single: "My Bonnie" / "The Saints" (released in Germany in October 1961)
EP: My Bonnie (released in Germany in September 1961
Side 1: "My Bonnie" / "Why"
Side 2: "Cry for a Shadow" / "The Saints"
Single: "Love Me Do" / "P.S. I Love You"
EP: Ya Ya (released in Germany in October 1962)
Side 1: "Ya Ya" Part 1 / "Ya Ya" Part 2
Side 2: "Sweet Georgia Brown" / "Skinny Minny"
As 1961 continued ...
the Beatles alternated daily gigs at the Cavern with ones at other clubs around Liverpool
by November, they headlined "Operation Big Beat," an event at the Tower Ballroom across the Mersey in New Brighton
this placed the Beatles above the other Liverpool groups: Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Remo Four, and King-Size Taylor and the Dominoes
undoubtedly, this was major recognition, but it was still merely local recognition
During 1962, the Beatles ...
further tightened their performance skills
with producer George Martin's help, they arranged their earliest song drafts into viable hits
finished their apprenticeship as a bar band playing covers in the top bars of their two home port cities (Liverpool & Hamburg), poised to spread their own original sound throughout England
The Cavern, "My Bonnie," and Brian Epstein
Without Stu Sutcliffe, in 1961, the Beatles became a quartet (a four-member group)
at first, Stu's absence on the bass was filled by Chas Newby, but he left the band in the first weeks of 1961 ... so Paul took up the bass
this change had a profound impact on the group's sound
within a few months, recordings reveal that Paul had mastered the bass in ways Stu never did; by late 1965, McCartney had completely reimagined the instrument's role in the rock ensemble
Neil Aspinall became the group's regular roadie, ferrying their gear to performance locations, a role in which he continued until the end of the group's stage career
Aspinall was the third son of Mona Best (owner of The Casbah Club and Pete Best's mother), making Neil Pete's half-brother!
later, he would become the head of the Beatles' company, Apple (not the computer technology company of that name)
The Beatles performing at the Cavern Club with Pete Best on drums.
When the band appeared at The Cavern in February 1961, both ownership of that club and the status of electric rock music had changed
as you recall, in January 1958, the Quarry Men played the Cavern Club as a skiffle rock band
Rory Storm and the Hurricanes (at the time, with Ringo Starr on drums) paved the way for electric rock bands, so the Beatles now played to a more appreciative Cavern crowd
During the early months of 1961, the most influential songs the Beatles adopted came from the Brill Building "song factory" along a stretch of Broadway near Times Square in New York City's borough of Manhattan; songs by ...
Gerry Goffin & Carole King who composed "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "Boys" for the Shirelles; "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby" and "The Loco-Motion" for Little Eva; and "Chains" for the Cookies;
Jerry Lieber & Mike Stoler who wrote "Searchin'," "Young Blood," and "Three Cool Cats" for the Coasters and "Stand by Me" for Ben E. King; and
Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman who produced "Save the Last Dance for Me" for the Drifters and "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame" for Elvis Presley
Though these early popular songs addressed teenage themes, musically, they were a significant advance, including ...
professionally crafted, strong contrasting musical sections within a song
verses sported clever lyrics, while the choruses brought recurring slang catchphrases for "hooks," and the bridges often digressed to foreign tonal areas (remote key regions) leading into strong retransitions back to the home key
for Lennon-McCartney (as a song-writing team), the simple yet pliable structures of these artistically crafted songs served as templates for their own future creativity!!
Tony Sheridan performing onstage with the Beat Brothers (a.k.a. the Beatles).
Tony Sheridan recorded for German hit producer Bert Kaempfert, and he tapped the Beatles as his backing group to make their first commercial recordings for Polydor on May 22-23, 1961
Pete Best's drumming on the Sheridan tracks sounds quite unusual
there is no bass drum or toms
only a snare is evident, with infrequent accents on hi-hat and suspended cymbal
For "My Bonnie," Kaempfert (knowing his customers liked well-known tunes) had Sheridan introduce the song with a traditional, slow, triple meter German verse before breaking into a hard quadruple meter rock beat featuring Lennon's boogie technique beneath the English lyrics, sure to get everyone dancing!
Instruments the band members acquired between 1961 and May 1963 became iconic as central features of the Beatles' look in the first wave of their world domination:
Paul's viol-shaped Höfner electric bass
John's Rickenbacker guitar
George's Gretsch Country Gentleman guitar
Ringo's Ludwig black oyster pearl drum set
"My Bonnie"
credited to Tony Sheridan and "The Beat Brothers" (that's the Beatles!!)
was a minor hit in Germany where it reached no. 33 for the month of February 1962, mainly on the strength of Hamburg's fans of Sheridan and the Beatles
Brian Epstein, manager
In late October 1961, a customer walked into the North End Music Store (NEMS), a family-owned record shop where Brian Epstein served as manager, and asked him for a copy of "My Bonnie" by Liverpool's own Beatles. Curious and excited by the idea of successful local talent, Brian couldn't find any information about the record, which -- unbeknownst to him -- had been released only "on the continent." He did, however, locate the Beatles at the Cavern Club, where he went to meet them on November 9th, the day before the "Operation Big Beat" event descried above. At that performance, Brian "caught the Beatles virus" (later to be known as Beatlemania!). He was highly impressed by their free-and-easy stage banter, the audience's admiration, and the undeniable charm of each band member!
it was fortunate for the Beatles that "the answer" to their lack of recognition arrived in November 1961 ... with the arrival of Brian Epstein
in his role as record store manager, he had perfected music merchandising, presenting his wares with album covers stapled across the ceiling ... skills that would later greatly assist him in managing the Beatles into a position of world-wide superstardom
Epstein inquired about the Beatles management and learned they had none
after seeing the Beatles at the Cavern Club, Epstein left with the goal of locating 200 copies of "My Bonnie" as a first step toward cementing a stronger business alliance with the band
Epstein contacted Polydor in Germany to arrange the release of "My Bonnie" in the United Kingdom, which took place on January 5, 1962
he scheduled publicity photos in the studio of Albert Marrion for December and a recording audition in London with Decca for New Year's Day
These early accomplishments by Epstein convinced the Beatles that he could advance their careers; the Beatles signed Epstein formally as their manager in January 1962.
not content to rest on his laurels, Brian began to push hard for a London-based record contract and live appearances on both radio and television
Brian Epstein walked a significant social tightrope between his public persona and his private life as a closeted gay man
The front-page headline of the Mersey Beat issue on January 4, 1962!
Though the Beatles were the TOP rock 'n' roll attraction in Liverpool, they were still largely unknown outside of it.
Recording for EMI: George Martin
There was a transition underway ... in January 1962, it was the rare band that featured electric guitars; that was about to change!
in fact, uniquely on Merseyside, beat music modeled itself on American guitarist-singers Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, and Buddy Holly
The Beatles Audition for Decca Records
the band ran through 15 of their most popular numbers but could not convince Decca that they had a future
they were told (inaccurately, it turned out) that "Groups with guitars are on the way out"
the Beatles left town with a set of recordings that Brian proceeded to play for representatives of the country's largest record companies ... EMI, Decca, and Pye all declined (!!)
Introduction to George Martin, producer
while pressing some acetate discs that would allow Epstein to conveniently play these recordings, one of the disc cutters (Jim Foy) showed interest in the three Lennon-McCartney originals included, particularly in Paul's "Like Dreamers Do"
Foy introduced Brian to Sid Colman (Ardmore and Beechwood publishing house), who purchased song rights for resale (e.g., sell the song for a certain amount so that a well-known artist could record it)
publishers like Colman routinely sold sheet music and helped arrange for recording and airplay in return for a large share of songwriting royalties
Colman had a good working relationship with producer George Martin, the head of Parlophone Records, so arranged for the Beatles to be heard in the studio, despite the fact that Parlophone was a subsidiary of EMI, which had already turned them down!
George Martin's Experience:
having produced Peter Seller's comedy records, Martin recognized the Beatles' sense of humor, so he gambled on them more as a "novelty" act since the level of musical talent was not yet clear
Peter Sellers had significant success, including his role as Inspector Clouseau in a series of "Pink Panther" films
Martin's recordings revealed his leaning toward the unexpected, unconventional, offbeat, and incongruously funny
exemplified by his work with Beyond the Fringe and with Sellers's Goons (whom Lennon had loved as a child)
he had figured out how to accomplish some novelty tricks using tape manipulation in the recording studio (which would prove valuable to the Beatles in time)
George Martin possessed significant classical music training as an oboist and as an orchestrator
by 1965, Martin's classical background would come in handy in recording revolutionary pop records
Martin signed the Beatles for a June recording session ... and the young group's charm, wit, and sponge-like capacities bowled him over when they convened at the EMI Studios on June 6th
What's Going On with the Beatles in 1962?
the Beatles had traveled abroad for the first of its three 1962 Hamburg residencies (April 13-May 31, November 1-14, and December 18-31
the band had been conscripted once again by Bert Kaempfert to record with Tony Sheridan, this time taping "Sweet Georgia Brown" and another number in May
they learned of the Parlophone recording session by telegram while in Hamburg
for the remainder of the year, they performed stage shows in Liverpool and Hamburg, with a few side adventures into Wales and southern England
during this time, they also appeared in their first radio and television appearances
in March on BBC Radio: singing Roy Orbison's "Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)," Chuck Berry's "Memphis," and the Marvelette's "Please Mr. Postman"
in June: the Coasters' "Besame Mucho," Joe Brown's "A Picture of You," and their own "Ask Me Why"
in August at the Cavern Club (for telecast in November): covering Richie Barrett's "Some Other Guy" and a medley of Little Richard's "Kansas City" and "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!"
from October thru December (on both radio & television): promoted the release of their own first EMI release: "Love Me Do" backed with "P.S. I Love You," plus Lenny Welch's "A Taste of Honey" and the Isley Brothers' "Twist and Shout"
Brian Epstein's diligent promotion brought the Beatles to the cusp of national attention in the United Kingdom by the end of 1962, with their first no. 1 record "in the can" and awaiting release.
Personnel Change: A New Face Behind the Drums
it didn't take long in the studio to determine that the most worrisome musical factor was Pete Best's drumming, which sped up and slowed down during "Love Me Do" (for a drummer, keeping an unsteady beat is a cardinal sin!)
Martin told Epstein that the Beatles could continue to use Pete onstage, but he would have to hire a professional drummer for recording
the pop world made common use of recording-session drummers (and other instrumentalists & vocalists), so George Martin would not likely have considered this a matter of consequence. To John, Paul, and George, however, this critique compounded the moody Pete's ill fit with the band's otherwise outgoing personalities
two weeks before they were to record again in September, they had Epstein fire Best and replace him with Ringo Starr; as star of a fellow Liverpool Beat band, Ringo knew the Beatles well. He had even taken Pete's place onstage on occasion in Hamburg, so they swiftly established a comfortable, collaborative musical and personal rapport
Ringo's performance style (in comparison to Pete Best's): provided a stronger rhythmic foundation with an emphatic rock backbeat, Ringo's heavy snare conveyed a bedrock energy and his propulsive tom-tom fills (nonexistent in Best's playing) shot euphoric shivers through the sound, and he had a gift for tempo and rhythmic placement
Preparing for their Initial Releases
September 4, 1962
Martin was still somewhat skeptical about Lennon & McCartney's songwriting ambitions, so gave them a demo recording of a new song called "How Do You Do It" and instructed them to rehearse it as their debut single
the Beatles dutifully learned the song and recorded a reasonable performance but convinced Martin by degrees of enthusiasm to reconsider their own original material
"How Do You Do It" was handed to Gerry and the Pacemakers, one of a number of Liverpool acts that Epstein would sign and bring to stardom following his success with the Beatles ... the Pacemakers reached the U.S. Top 10 with its re-issue in 1964!
as a result, the Beatles' first singles -- beginning with "Love Me Do" / "P.S. I Love You" -- greeted their listeners as originals, a stance they held proudly with strong conviction
September 11, 1962
"Love Me Do" - drummer Andy White was powering the group with Ringo relegated to tambourine
the version with White playing drums appeared on the Beatles' first album
a different version with Ringo playing drums was used for the single release
White also played on "P.S. I Love You"
All of the Beatles fretted openly over this treatment of Ringo. George Martin never hired a substitute Beatle again!
"Ask Me Why"
most pop songs of this era were in verse-chorus form in which changing verses and repeated choruses alternated and sometimes included a bridge to provide a more varied musical landscape
verse: sections with similar melody & musical accompaniment but words vary between stanzas
chorus: a repeated section that typically has the same music and the same lyrics, often including the "hook" for the song
sometimes shorter refrains might be found within the confines of a verse structure, shortening the duration of the chorus to the briefer musical refrains
bridge: a section of music that's primary purpose is to provide a contrast to the verse and chorus ... something a bit different
The musical form of "Ask Me Why" is quite unique ...
Did you hear the
at the end of the first phrase of this verse?
Did you hear the
at the end of the first phrase of this verse?
Did you hear the
at the end of this chorus?
Did you hear the
at the end of the first phrase of this verse?
What makes "Ask Me Why" so unusual?
unlike the vast majority of pop music, these phrase lengths are very asymmetrical rather than the typical 4-, 8-, or 16-bar phrases commonly found in popular music
2-bar intro
verse phrases of 4 bars + 4 bars + 5 bars
each verse maintains this pattern
the verse uses an unusual lyrical rhyme scheme (described in detail in Everette & Riley, 2019, p. 49)
each chorus is made up of a single 6-bar phrase
the third chorus (with coda) creates a pattern of 5 + 2 + 2 bars
Everette & Riley (2019) refer to this coda as of the "one more time" type, in which the performer repeats the final thought, coming to a cold ending rather than fading out
it is extremely strange to save the first chorus until after the bridge ... and then to present a second bridge following a chorus
Choosing Creativity & Innovation Over Safety & Security
the decision to release singles of original material represents a huge distinctive marker, not only because their own catalog of original songs was then small, but also for the immense implications it had for their futures
performing over 300 songs composed by others had made them popular
it is widely noted -- and very interesting -- that among the last cover material learned by the Beatles were the "girl group" songs of the Shirelles, Donays, and Cookies and the Motown products of Barrett Strong, the Marvelettes, and the Miracles, along with other Black singer-songwriters like Arthur Alexander
it is also undeniable that all the music the band heard before and after signing with EMI show up re-engineered in their own original compositions ... the music composed by John & Paul (and then George) was heavily influenced by the music of early rock artists, much of which they had played together onstage in Liverpool and Hamburg!
by the time the Beatles completed their early tours of the UK and Hamburg and signed with Parlophone Records, they could sing and play a tune after hearing it a few times in a broadcast from Luxembourg, on a German jukebox, or in Epstein's record store ... no matter how new and complex!
musicians can learn so many songs so quickly and thoroughly only if they have already deeply assimilated many aspects of song structure, poetic practice, and melodic/harmonic voicing and function
the Beatles had honed an ability to hear a new musical idea from any source across the globe and instinctively integrate it alongside the musical ideas they had already mastered
their unique mix of talent, hard work, curiosity, confidence, ambition, and enjoyment of each other and what they accomplished together took them to the heights of music history!
Another change was happening in popular music ... many wannabe musicians started to learn to play instruments the way the Beatles had done it: "by ear" (what is known as an "aural tradition", i.e., not learning from written music, but listening to a performance or a recording and playing back what you hear)
learning by ear became a new way to absorb and internalize musical principles ... well, it wasn't really a "new" way at all; in fact, most of the World is made up of aural traditions!
in the period before the Beatles, classical music and popular music were two very different avenues of thought:
the "high culture" of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms, which was regarded as more elite and special
the popular music of Woody Guthrie, skiffle, and rock 'n' roll were viewed as more "common" and as a lower form of music-making
FOR THE RECORD: Dr. L strongly disagrees with this inaccurate assessment. Among popular musicians, one can find a wide range of talent, from the most gifted genius performers to some who have studied their craft little if at all; there is a wide range of performance ability across performers of classical music.
one of the Beatles key accomplishments lies in how they eventually reconciled the worlds of popular music and classical music, creating rock 'n' roll music that was so elaborate, thoughtful, and innovative that it drew listeners from the "high art" classical crowd, and working alongside classical soloists in Britain earned them respect
"Please Please Me" and the SRDC Form [SRDC: Statement - Restatement - Departure - Conclusion]
Lennon & McCartney spoke of "Please Please Me" as something they wrote with Roy Orbison in mind, so they created a medium-tempo weeper, a platform for vocal melodrama. George Martin suggested they speed it up and try again. When they returned to the EMI Studio on November 26th, the results blew him away, hearing the singers' duet on interwoven lines of unison and harmony!
Martin's assessment (via his mic in the control room to the band in the studio): "You've just made your first number one."
"Please Please Me" provides an excellent example of what Everette & Riley refer to as the SRDC form, which stands for Statement ("S"; initial presentation of a musical idea) > Restatement ("R"; a repetition of the opening idea with new words and perhaps a slight musical variation) > Departure ("D"; featuring strongly varied material), and a Conclusion ("C"; a phrase to bring the melody to a resolution). Use this opportunity to familiarize yourself with this common SRDC pattern in music.
Can you hear & follow the SRDC form as you listen to Verse 2? Do you hear how the Transition begins with the "tattoo"?
Can you hear & follow the SRDC form for the repeat of Verse 1?
For those of you who can clearly hear the SRDC pattern in the music above (after working hard to get it into your ears), I want to provide a little more information, which will help bring some of the knowledge you are gaining by watching my videos about the various musical forms upon which we are focusing in this course into the current conversation. After watching my video about the AABA form (the one that also addresses the use of Interactive Media on my rock history website), come back to the Listening Guide for "Please Please Me" above, so that you can reconsider the form of this piece. "Please Please Me" is such a masterfully constructed composition, and it fits the AABA form ("macro" version), as discussed in my video about that form [A - A - B - A = Verse1 - Verse 2 - Bridge - Verse 1]. Simply look at the button labels from top to bottom in the Listening Guide. Focus especially on the following sections: Verse 1, Verse 2, Bridge, and Verse 1 (repeated near the end). Do you see, in this context, that the verses (1, 2, & 1, in that order) ALL constitute an "A" section of the AABA (macro) form (all very similar), while the "Bridge" serves as the "B" section (providing a contrasting musical sound for variety)? All of the other sections of music (introductory tattoo, repeats of the "tattoo" idea, transition, repeated refrain, and closing cadence) can all be considered transitional or otherwise less important sections of the music, leaving the framework of the song to be the AABA foundation (or Verse 1 > Verse 2 > Bridge > Verse 1) of the song.
Now, let's turn our attention to the SRDC form mentioned above. Consider this "exercise for your ears"!! Just follow these steps:
I strongly recommend that you listen several times to Verse 1 above. Simply click on the first "Verse 1" button (the second button from the top of the Listening Guide) and listen to that verse 3-5 times in a row. The verse starts at 0:08 (8 seconds into the track), but you can initiate playback automatically by clicking on the "Verse 1" button.
To halt playback, you will need to click on the "pause" button -- the button in your browser's media player that looks like two vertical lines: ||. -- manually when playback reaches 0:32 (32 seconds into the track).
After listening to that first verse several times, I recommend that you then click on each button representing parts of the SRDC pattern, first Statement (S), then Restatement (R), then Departure (D), followed by Conclusion (C).
Do you hear how R sounds a lot like S (if not nearly identical), other than the lyrics?
Do you hear how different D sounds musically from both R & S? ... then C provides yet another contrasting musical idea.
After listening to the S, R, D, & C sections several times, can you then click on the "Verse 1" button again and still HEAR each part of the S-R-D-C form (i.e., when the S, R, D, & C sections begin and end?), now that you have heard them independently several times?
if so, congratulations!! You did it ... now, see if you can hear that form as you listen to other examples of the Beatles' recordings as you complete your listening journal entries
if not, click on those buttons again, as described above ... like many things in life, it just takes practice. You can do it!!
Okay, now, for the final test of your listening abilities for this early Beatles hit. Can you now click on the button labeled "Verse 2" and hear all sections of the S-R-D-C form? What about the other "Verse 1" button (the third button from the end of the song in the listening guide above). This one, too, has the same musical form, but may be even easier for you to perceive, since the lyrics here are the same as those for the first "Verse 1" button that you clicked earlier.
How Musical Form Provides a Sense of Perceived Organization (and Interest)
Let me bring one more point into focus for you. Do you notice how the SRDC form provides a very clear division of the function of each of the four parts of this form? The first is simply to introduce an interesting musical idea (Statement). Then, that idea is repeated (Restatement) to provide a clear sense of organization, using a sound that is familiar, since it was just played and sung. Next, so that the music doesn't get boring (or too repetitive), the performers provide music that is different (Departure) compared to the music that has now been repeated twice. Finally, after presenting the contrasting musical idea (often very different) in the Departure section, the Conclusion section introduces yet another musical idea (the familiar "hook" line: "Please please me, oh yeah, like I please you." For this particular song, you can identify the internal form (or the microstructure) as "aabc" ... S(tatement) = a; R(estatement) = a; D(eparture = b); C(onlusion) = c. In other words, you could say, like Everette & Riley, that the internal form represents the SRDC form. You could also say (with even more specificity) that the internal musical form for each verse (Verse 1, Verse 2, and Verse 1, repeated) is "aabc."
![Photo of the Beatles' Savage Young Beatles LP cover. [image from Everette & Riley, 2019, p. 45]](photos/Beat Brothers - EP_small.png)
![Photo of Tony Sheridan's 'My Bonnie' single cover. [image from Everette & Riley, 2019, p. 42]](photos/Sheridan - My Bonnie_small.png)
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