Led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over three years from 1960, initially with Stuart Sutcliffe playing bass. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers, eventually settling with Pete Best in 1960, who played with them for two years before being replaced with then Rory Storm & The Hurricanes drummer Ringo Starr in 1962. Manager Brian Epstein molded them into a professional act and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings, greatly expanding their domestic success after their first hit, "Love Me Do", in late 1962. As their popularity grew into the intense fan frenzy dubbed "Beatlemania", the band acquired the nickname "the Fab Four", with Epstein, Martin and other members of the band's entourage sometimes given the informal title of "fifth Beatle".
By early 1964, the Beatles were international stars, leading the "British Invasion" of the United States pop market and breaking numerous sales records. They soon made their film debut with A Hard Day's Night (1964). From 1965 onwards, they produced increasingly innovative recordings, including the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), and enjoyed further commercial success with The Beatles (also known as "the White Album", 1968) and Abbey Road (1969). In 1968, they founded Apple Corps, a multi-armed multimedia corporation that continues to oversee projects related to the band's legacy. After the group's break-up in 1970, all four members enjoyed success as solo artists. Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001. McCartney and Starr remain musically active.
The Beatles are the best-selling music act of all time, with estimated sales of 600 million units worldwide. They hold the record for most number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart, most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and most singles sold in the UK. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and all four main members were inducted individually between 1994 and 2015. In 2008, the group topped Billboard's list of the all-time most successful artists on the Billboard Hot 100. The band received seven Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Academy Award (for Best Original Song Score for the 1970 film Let It Be) and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards. Time magazine named them among the 20th century's 100 most important people.
Former Rolling Stone associate editor Robert Greenfield compared the Beatles to Picasso, as "artists who broke through the constraints of their time period to come up with something that was unique and original "... In the form of popular music, no one will ever be more revolutionary, more creative and more distinctive ..." The British poet Philip Larkin described their work as "an enchanting and intoxicating hybrid of African-American rock-and-roll with their own adolescent romanticism", and "the first advance in popular music since the War".
They not only sparked the British Invasion of the US, they became a globally influential phenomenon as well. From the 1920s, the US had dominated popular entertainment culture throughout much of the world, via Hollywood films, jazz, the music of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley and, later, the rock and roll that first emerged in Memphis, Tennessee. The Beatles are regarded as British cultural icons, with young adults from abroad naming the band among a group of people that they most associated with UK culture.
Their musical innovations and commercial success inspired musicians worldwide. Many artists have acknowledged the Beatles' influence and enjoyed chart success with covers of their songs. On radio, their arrival marked the beginning of a new era; in 1968 the programme director of New York's WABC radio station forbade his DJs from playing any "pre-Beatles" music, marking the defining line of what would be considered oldies on American radio. They helped to redefine the album as something more than just a few hits padded out with "filler", and they were primary innovators of the modern music video. The Shea Stadium show with which they opened their 1965 North American tour attracted an estimated 55,600 people, then the largest audience in concert history; Spitz describes the event as a "major breakthrough ... a giant step toward reshaping the concert business". Emulation of their clothing and especially their hairstyles, which became a mark of rebellion, had a global impact on fashion.
According to Gould, the Beatles changed the way people listened to popular music and experienced its role in their lives. From what began as the Beatlemania fad, the group's popularity grew into what was seen as an embodiment of socio-cultural movements of the decade. As icons of the 1960s counterculture, Gould continues, they became a catalyst for bohemianism and activism in various social and political arenas, fuelling movements such as women's liberation, gay liberation and environmentalism. According to Peter Lavezzoli, after the "more popular than Jesus" controversy in 1966, the Beatles felt considerable pressure to say the right things and "began a concerted effort to spread a message of wisdom and higher consciousness".
Other commentators such as Mikal Gilmore and Todd Leopold have traced the inception of their socio-cultural impact earlier, interpreting even the Beatlemania period, particularly on their first visit to the US, as a key moment in the development of generational awareness. Referring to their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show Leopold states: "In many ways, the Sullivan appearance marked the beginning of a cultural revolution ... The Beatles were like aliens dropped into the United States of 1964.
In 1965, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). The Beatles won the 1971 Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for the film Let It Be (1970). The recipients of seven Grammy Awards and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards, the Beatles have six Diamond albums, as well as 20 Multi-Platinum albums, 16 Platinum albums and six Gold albums in the US. In the UK, the Beatles have four Multi-Platinum albums, four Platinum albums, eight Gold albums and one Silver album. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
The best-selling band in history, the Beatles have sold more than 800 million physical and digital albums as of 2013. They have had more number-one albums on the UK charts, fifteen, and sold more singles in the UK, 21.9 million, than any other act. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Beatles as the most significant and influential rock music artists of the last 50 years. They ranked number one on Billboard magazine's list of the all-time most successful Hot 100 artists, released in 2008 to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary. As of 2017, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with twenty. The Recording Industry Association of America certifies that the Beatles have sold 178 million units in the US, more than any other artist. They were collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people. In 2014, they received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
There are two holidays celebrated for the Beatles: Global Beatles Day on 25 June each year. On that date in 1967, the band performed "All You Need Is Love" on television. In 2001, UNESCO created World Beatles Day on 16 January each year. This date has direct relation to the opening of The Cavern Club in 1957.
Five asteroids, 4147 Lennon, 4148 McCartney, 4149 Harrison, 4150 Starr and 8749 Beatles are named after the Beatles.
Red Hot
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your gal ain't doodly squat
Yeah, my gal is red hot
Your gal ain't doodly squat
Well, she ain't got no money
But man, she's a-really got a lot
Well, I got a gal, six feet four
Well, she walks all night, talks all day
She's the kinda woman who'll have her way, but
Well, she's the kinda woman who louds around
Spreadin' my business all over town, but
Well, she's a one man's woman, that's what I like
But I wish she wasn't gonna change her mind everynight, but
The Beatles' song 'Red Hot' talks about the singer's girlfriend being exceptional and unique. The lyrics imply that she is better than other men's girlfriends, suggesting that her qualities make her hotter than any other woman. The line "My gal is red hot, your gal ain't doodly squat" is a statement that says it all. The phrase "red hot" denotes someone who is lively, fiery, and has an undeniable appeal. The next line, "Your gal ain't doodly squat," implies that the other guy's girlfriend is of no significance because she pales in comparison to the singer's girlfriend.
The singer goes on to state that although his girlfriend doesn't have any money, she has something even more valuable – a unique personality that sets her apart from anyone else. The next verse hints at some of the peculiarities of his girlfriend, including her tallness and the fact that she sleeps with her feet hanging out of the kitchen door. While this might suggest her eccentricity, it is clear that the singer values her personality over her physical attributes.
In the final verse, the singer comments on the fact that his girlfriend is a bit of a handful, talking on the phone all day and night and potentially being promiscuous. However, the singer's loyalty to his girlfriend is unwavering, and he refers to her as a "one-man's woman." The song indicates that although the singer's girlfriend possesses some flaws, he loves her all the same.
Line by Line Meaning
My gal is red hot
My significant other is extremely attractive
Your gal ain't doodly squat
Your significant other is unimpressive in comparison
Well, she ain't got no money
My significant other lacks financial resources
But man, she's a-really got a lot
However, my significant other possesses many desirable qualities
Well, I got a gal, six feet four
My significant other is unusually tall
Sleeps in the kitchen with her feet out the door, but
Sleeps in an unconventional location
Well, she walks all night, talks all day
My significant other is highly active and talkative
She's the kinda woman who'll have her way, but
My significant other is assertive and independent
Well, she's the kinda woman who louds around
My significant other gossips about me to others
Spreadin' my business all over town, but
Shares private information about me with others
Well, she's a one man's woman, that's what I like
However, my significant other is committed to only me
But I wish she wasn't gonna change her mind everynight, but
I wish my significant other would stop being indecisive about our relationship
Contributed by Evelyn O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jamie E
Covered from Ronnie Hawkins' version of the song.
philip halpenny
Good night Ronnie1935-2022...
C. Syde65
You can tell that it's George Harrison singing. Because the tone is warmer and the timbre is too light for it to be John Lennon singing. Plus the accent is too thick. On the vowels especially. Also the raspiness in the vocal sounds more put on. Since George's vocal is naturally smoother. If it was John singing, the raspiness would sound more natural.
Alberto Carralero
@C. Syde65 Actually that's a technical problem and not a range issue, as even the lightest tenors could have problems in the high notes and that happens because of a technical problem, it's actually quite common in men having that issue, i'm also a lyric tenor and my voice was very nasal sounding very recently, that happens when the larynx is high or too high, and that can be a problem when one is singing in higher notes more than in the lower, George had the same problem, but in a lesser way, as he didn't had the correct training on his voice, so instead of trying sing very high he tended to go lower, because if you don't have enough technique to sing in higher notes, you could scream or make too much force on your larynx, that can be a real problem as you can damage your voice permanently, Paul instead had a better technique and a more neutral larynx, so he could sing higher and get raspy without damaging his voice.
C. Syde65
@Alberto Carralero Regardless of who is correct, it doesn't really explain why Paul McCartney was usually the one singing the high harmonies. While John Lennon and George Harrison were the ones singing the low harmonies. Paul and John singing the high harmonies and George singing the low harmonies. Or Paul and George singing the high harmonies and John singing the low harmonies.
But very rarely did Paul sing the low harmonies while John and George both sang the high harmonies. Unless Paul was the one on lead vocals. Since the lead singer in The Beatles usually sang the low harmonies. Also I can't really imagine George being capable of belting notes like Paul did in songs like 'Long Tall Sally'.
Actually I can't imagine George belting at all. Since his vocal is quite fragile compared to the vocals of John and Paul. And he didn't scream like they did. But yeah, there are several instances of George doing lower harmonies than Paul. Paul did the high harmonies in 'Don't Ever Change' while George did the low harmonies.
And Paul did the high harmonies in 'Because', while John did the middle harmonies, and George did the low harmonies. I often can't tell who is who when each of The Beatles sing backup. Especially when George sings backup. Since he's the perfect middle ground between John and Paul when it comes to three part harmonies, while having a thicker accent than either of them.
Alberto Carralero
@C. Syde65 Speaking voices will not always say something about the range of a singer and when a person talks in a quite nasally way as did George, it will be more difficult, as nasality gives a false depthness, the only way to really know what was the range of each singer is to hear them singing and how much deep or light they can get, by example John (dramatic tenor) and Paul (spinto tenor) usually sung in the same range and even some people have been fooled of who's singing on some parts like in I Don't Want To Spoil The Party, where the second voice is actually made by Paul making an impression of John's voice or when they sing She Loves You in All You Need Is Love, are actually both, George could not do the same, it would have sounded much lighter and when you hear George singing with John as he did on She Said and Mr. Kite, George sounded lighter, even if John was singing in a lighter thing than he usually did, that's another example of why George was a lyric tenor.
C. Syde65
@Alberto Carralero I'm still not sure if I can take your word for it. Since both sides have quite convincing arguments. George Harrison's voice definitely sounded quite deep compared to Paul McCartney's in the film 'A Hard Day's Night'. In some instances it even sounded deeper than John Lennon's, though John's voice always seemed more dramatic than George's, which is to be expected. It would have been great if they'd put all four Beatles in a room together so they could determine which notes each of them could hit, and what types of tenors or baritones they each were.
One thing I do know is that a person with a lower voice may not necessarily be able to hit lower notes than a person with a higher voice, if the person with the higher voice has a wider range. I'm a low baritone — not sure if I'm a lyric or dramatic baritone, but I'm definitely a low baritone — who is most comfortable singing between E2 and E4. If what I've researched is true, that Paul McCartney can hit an A1, like he's been stated to have hit in 'The Girl Is Mine', then I don't think I'm able to go as low as he can.
I have tried hitting an A1 before. But I don't think I succeeded. Either I'm not able to, or I'm using the wrong technique. It's hard for me to determine if I can hit an A1 or not. Because my own voice sounds higher to me when I speak, than when everyone else hears my voice. This is further supported since my own voice sounds lower to me when I hear my voice played back to me.
Alberto Carralero
@C. Syde65 No, you're wrong, George had no way a deeper voice than Paul, he just had a more nasal speaking and singing voice than Paul, but that's by no means, "deeper", nasality can fool people because it makes voices sound more opaque than what they really are and that happens when a singer or even a radio host or something like that, has the bad habit of upping the larynx, that's a common problem and George had it.
jack freeman
Who's on drums and keyboards?
Frederick Rueckert
You can here towards the end of the guitar solo John's guitar come back in, because he had just finished playing the organ. It was on stage for 1 of the other acts on the bill that night. I know this Red Hot is reconstructed but the sound quality is better than other bootleg versions out there