Beatles Songs vs The Fab Four "Hark!" Album

This post is inspired by something I heard this morning on the radio show "Beatles Brunch with Joe Johnson". Remember, THESE are my own opinions and they may be totally, 100% different than yours so no hate please!

The Beatles Music ~ 1962 - 1970 

Hark! by The Fab Four ~ 2008 - Christmas Album

Compare: What I find so interesting with this band cover band, "The Fab Four" is that they took Beatles songs and combined them with classic Christmas songs - HOW COOL IS THAT?! I couldn't hardly believe it when I hear their songs come on because I really thought it was The Beatles before the announcer said who it was, my mother was sitting next to me and she thought the same thing. What I really think compares them to The Beatles is the resourcefulness and amazing musicians that are able to think of making music like that. 

Contrast: They are a cover band and they can sound close to what The Beatles sounded like but there will always be a difference. Their Christmas music even sounds different than any of the kinds The Beatles ever even made, which is really refreshing and imaginative.

Likes: I love Christmas music and I love The Beatles so it's like a match made in heaven! Like I already said, they were good enough that they sound really close to The Beatles that I actually thought one of the songs was sung by John. They actually made me tear up for a little portion of it, it made me feel heartfelt and I just love The Beatles and give me a huge burst of pride for them.

Dislikes: Really, I don't have that many dislikes about this album, for the first time listening to it through I didn't know fully how I felt about if I really liked them or not but as I kept listening to them, I really enjoyed their music except the guy who sings Ringo's part. Yes, I totally understand that they're just a cover band but I kinda wish the Ringo sounded a little better. 

(Words: 371)

Beatles Present Ideas/Memories

Some of my favorite memories from Christmas these last few years has been from the gifts I've received that are Beatles related. I can't believe all of the Beatles things my family still can find that I haven't gotten in all of the years I've asked for stuff. Really, it excites me to think of all the new things that I'll get as presents.

When I first started liking The Beatles, this was back when I was still using a CD Player, way before I ever got an iPod or even an iPhone. Y'all think it's expensive to buy music on iTunes, but buying CDs are even worse, especially Beatles CDs. I got my first Beatles CD on my birthday, and my mother told me I had to wait until Christmas until I could get another one. THAT WOULD BE 12 MONTHS, since my birthday is in January. Unless I had my own money to purchase them myself, I couldn't wait until Christmas to see which one's I got. My favorite year was when I got The Beatles (also famously known as 'The White Album'), I remember staying up all night and listening over and over again to it. 

I'm here to give you some advice and clearense if you're a person looking for Beatles themes gifts and you have NO IDEA what to get them. I understand how you feel, trust me, finding gifts for people in general is hard enough and especially when they're Beatles gifts. I just happened to stumble by a website that has the best Beatles merchandise I've seen. With experience buying products from this website, I can promise you that you will be satisfied with what you get. To help you narrow down things that you should buy, I've made a list of 5 Beatles things that I'D want for Christmas this year. 

Product #1: Beatles Mens Varsity Jacket: Drop T Logo ~ Cost: $79.99 - I've always wanted a jacket like this and now I TOTALLY want one decked out with The Beatles. 

Product #2: Beatles Bag: 1964 Collection Shoulder Tote ~ Cost: $17.99 - What's cool about this bag is that it would match my Beatles picture, lamp and blacket. 

Product #3: Beatles Apron: The Beatles Yellow Submarine ~ Cost: $25:00 - I love cooking and baking, so I'd totally wear this! 

Product #4: Beatles Pins: Cartoon Collectable Pin ~ Cost: $39.99 - My friend gave me pins for Christmas a few years ago and these are so cool being The Beatles 60s cartoon. 

 

Product #5: Beatles Calendar: 2015 Wall Calendar ~ Cost: $16.99 - Every year I get a Beatles calendar to hang in my room so this is a necessary thing. 

(Words: 489)

A Very Beatles Christmas

It's that time of the year again - Christmas is here and we all can't wait until having the huge Christmas dinner, don't dorget the best part of the night - opening up presents that you've been waiting all year for. I know that it was (and still is) the best part of the whole year. Another part of the holidays I enjoy is getting to visit and see all of your family members that you only get to see at this time every year. Time goes so quickly, I can't believe Christmas is already 5 days away!


Since my obsession of The Beatles started all those years ago, I can't go a Christmas without getting something that has to do with The Beatles. Even though that I don't make a list for Santa anymore, I remember when I used to that I would always put "The Beatles" at the beginning of the list every year. Of course it hasn't happened yet, but a girl can always dream. My mom used to joke and print off a picture of Ringo and paste it onto my Christmas stocking, it was really sweet of her, but I always hoped she got me Ringo for Christmas whoops. 

I keep a section of my closest full of Christmas decorations that I used to decorate my room. My room is Beatles themed, so of course all of the decorations had to do with The Beatles. I have 2 little Christmas trees that I put on my dressers that have pictures of The Beatles at the very top as the stars. On my Beatles large picture, I tape antlers over each Beatle's head and if you look at the right angle, it actually looks like it's real!



As I'm doing all of my tedious work (haha just kidding it literally takes me like 20 minutes to get it done), I  listen to a compilation of all of The Beatles Christmas Albums on YouTube. It's the only time of the year that I listen to it, and every time I do, I can't help but cry. It's stupid of me to do that, but it's so sweet and adorable and cute the way that they recorded the messages that you can't help but get a little choked up. 

I hope everyone has a FANTASTIC Christmas (or Hanukah) and have a safe beginning of 2015, I'll be back posting right after my Holiday Break (which I go back to school on January 6th), until then PEACE AND LOVE AND MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

(Words: 423)

It's All Too Much vs Rain

It's All Too Much - Yellow Submarine, 1968 (recorded 1965) 

~written by George Harrison, sung by George Harrison

Rain - Single, 1966

~written by John Lennon, sung by John Lennon

Compare: Welcome to the turning points of The Beatles from early, swinging early 60s to peace and love, drugs haze later 60s. During this time, I think The Beatles produced some of the best of their music. It's All Too Much is a fantastic song made by George (which is one of my favorite songs ever made by him). Rain is a zippy, trippy song that of course came from the mind of Mr. John Lennon. It's All Too Much from its way to the soundtrack for The Beatles movie, "Yellow Submarine" and Rain has its own adorable, amazing music video, all decked out in hippie cuteness.

Contrast: The difference between them isn't too much, but there is still a clear difference. Even though It's All Too Much was realsed on the album "Yellow Submarine", it was recorded in 1965. Yes, it's close to the year Rain was made and realsed as a single (same as its double "Paperback Writer") but the way that they sound is completely different. George always made his music about someone changing their life, "it's all too much for me to think, the love that's shining all around you. Everywhere it's what you make, for us to take it's all too much". Rain is talking about when the rain comes, "let the rain come as they run and hide their head, they might as well be dead. Let the rain come." 

Likes: These two songs are two of my very favorite Beatles songs. From 1965-1967 produced some of my favorite Beatles songs. It's All Too Much is one of the songs that I always put on and listen to whenever I feel bad. The way that George puts his emotion into his music always seems to comfort me and make me feel safe/better. Rain has been one of my favorite songs from when I watched Conon O'Brien's late night show when Ringo was on there and he confessed that it was his favorite song that The Beatles made. He commented that the drum part made the song the way it is, along with a pretty amazing bass riff from Paul.

Dislikes: For me, it is really hard to choose things that I don't like about the songs. Really, the only thing that didn't make me happy was that It's All Too Much was moved all the way to 1968 on the "Yellow Submarine" album, I wish they could have just put it on the late 1965 album "Rubber Soul". Same kinda thing with Rain, I wish they could have just put it on my favorite album "Revolver" published in 1966 - Rain and Paperback Writer could have made the album more famous. 

(Words: 527)

Remembering John Lennon

It's hard to think that John Lennon hasn't been with us for 34 years now. December 9th, 1980 will be a date that no Beatles fan, or even a music fan would ever forget. What John did during his life time in music will make sure his memory will never leave our minds. I know that I think of every day if John was still alive, what our world would be today.

Little things that go on in my life every day reminds me of John, some even emotional enough that I do end up crying. Sometimes I really don't understand why it makes me so emotional, it's so hard for me to really think about how he passed and part of me wishes in some way...I could have maybe helped him (that's impossible but hey I can dream).

My favorite show is The Monkees (which has an extreme Beatles connection...DON'T WORRY I'LL TALK ABOUT IT SOMEDAY) and back in the 60s when the show was on, John Lennon always said that he loved the show and watched it every week. Um. So that means that whenever I watch the episodes, there is an actual chance that I could be watching the ones that John Lennon himself watched. Wow. I know that I sound a little crazy, but this reason makes me so happy. 

It's also weird of people I associate John Lennon with. I love watching Beatles movies/documentaries, and forever the actors in the movies I call "John Lennon". Such as Christopher Eccelston, famous for being the 9th Doctor on Doctor Who and the bad guy in Thor 2. But to me, he will forever be John Lennon, after playing him in the movie, "Naked Lennon". The next person is Aaron Taylor-Johnson, famous for being Kick A** in the Kick A** franchise and playing Pietro Maximoff in the highly acclaimed Avengers 2: Age of Ultron. But yet again, I will forever remember him as young John Lennon in the movie "Nowhere Boy" (which is one of my favorite Beatles movie in general).

I bought a John Lennon book at this half price bookstore in Ireland called, "John Lennon: The Life by Philip Norman", which gives you a lot of information into John's childhood, Beatles life and even after. If you want to learn more about John Lennon (with even some information that you read about and wish you didn't). Really, I totally recommend it and suggest it if you love John Lennon.

I'll finish up this post with the poem I wrote about John - RIP 

"Johnny see,

Johnny do

With his guitar, he played with his heart 

Always from the start

Made people stop and listen,

For every piece of music he made

"Living is easy with eyes closed" 

Is something I believe

And I can see, even with eyes closed

He cared"

(Words: 521)

Freda Kelly - A Woman Just Like Us

Fan clubs have been famous since way beyond my own years. If you loved a certain thing, of course there was a fanclub for it! During the time The Beatles were famous in the 60s, fan clubs were on the boom. Every Beatles fangirl would dedicate themselves to their own fanclub where they could meet up with their fellow Beatles-lovers and talk about them and obsess over them.

But there is one woman that stands out the most: Good Ol' Freda Kelly.

Many young girls at the time was EXTREMELY jealous over her. At the age of 17, she became The Beatles Fan Club leader and their manager, Brian Epstein's secretary. Can you believe how lucky this girl was? It would be an honor to hold those two positions and I'm glad she was the one who hold them. 

I feel bad about this, but myself didn't learn about who Freda was until a short time ago. I had heard and read her name before, but I never really understood who she was. The one place I remember hearing her name was in one of The Beatles Christmas Album when John thanked her for all the work that she had done that year. 

I would love to see the new documentary that was made about her called, "Good Ol' Freda Kelly" - a little taste of what her job was and what she did during the 60s as working for The Beatles. Miss Kelly was known as "The Most Coveted Girl in the World" and is one of the last remaining people who stayed with The Beatles from the very beginning.

Just like The Beatles themselves, Freda is a little Liverpuldian girl who gained stardom that she never expected. She never wanted to be a millionaire, but after waiting so long to write her memoir, she fears becoming one.

If you want to learn more about Freda Kelly in this cute interview and how famous her signature is wanted and needed, check out this article! - http://www.gulfcoastnewstoday.com/area_news/article_537bd654-6e52-11e4-887e-8380d915ad4d.html 

This article is also pretty good, it goes more into depth about Freda Kelly herself  - http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/nov/17/beatles-secretary-freda-kelly-story

(Words: 398)

The Fool On the Hill vs Yesterday

Here comes another round of compare and contrasting songs! If you're not familiar with me doing this, basically I put my Beatles songs on shuffle on my phone and pick the 2 first songs and compare and contrast them, then talk about some of my likes and dislikes on them. Remember, THESE are my own opinions and they may be totally, 100% different than yours so no hate please!


The Fool on The Hill ~ written by Paul McCartney - Magical Mystery Tour, 1967


Yesterday ~ written by Paul McCartney - Help!, 1965


Compare: Here is another round of Paul McCartney songs. If you listen to songs written by Paul (and the same thing with John), you can always tell who the writer is by the style. Yesterday is a CLASSIC Paul McCartney song that is one of his most FAMOUS Beatles song to date. the Fool On the Hill tells a story about a man who everyone doesn't like and how he goes through his life without anyone's help. Both almost tell a story as well.


Contrast: There are two completely different styles to these songs. Yesterday is a 100% a love song, a love cry from someone who wants their love back and regrets what happened between their love and will do anything to have that day back "I long for yesterday...". The Fool On the Hill that tells about a man who sits on a hill, no one ever wants to talk to him, but he enjoys being alone anyway. He always seems to be off into a distant land, forever lost in his own mind , "well on the way...head in the clouds...".


Likes: Both of these songs are very enjoyable to listen to. Whenever you have heartbreak and need a good love song to listen to, I'm pretty sure any Beatles obsesser/anyone who has ever heard Yesterday, would go right to that. The Fool On the Hill reminds me of The Beatles movie "Magical Mystery Tour", a memorial scene in the movie where you can see Paul running around a mountain (that was shot in France which is so beautiful).


Dislikes: I have listened to Yesterday so many times (it is also one of my mom's favorite Beatles songs so she listens to it all the time) so I actually don't like the song...it kinda bothers me. The Fool On the Hill is also one of those Beatles songs that I have listened too so many times that I just cannot listen to it anymore.


(Words: 448)

Beatles and Charity Work

With all of the fame The Beatles has received over the years, it makes their position very easy to help out with communities and even with some different charities. I find this extremely heartwarming to know that even though they are such big stars that they will do anything to help people out.


In 1970, George Harrison did a charity concert called, "The Concert for Bangladesh" in which he got a group of his famous musical friends and had a concert to raise money for Bangladesh. He first found out because of this cause from his good friend Ravi Shankar and from that point on, he tried his best to help out. I actually own the DVD for the concert and it is one of my favorite videos ever and the music is fantastic.


Another thing I remember reading about a couple of years ago, that Ringo signed a boys drum set for charity and then got to spend the rest of the day drumming with him. During this time I was in a band as the drummer, and I told my mom that I would give anything to have Ringo sign my own drum set and even get to be in the same room with him! Who knows, maybe someday I will get that chance (I would probably die on contact if I did).


A lot of Beatles things are sold for a lot of money when it comes to charity work. I know that lately some rare pictures of The Beatles were sold for charity along with a piano that both Paul and Ringo signed. Imagine being able to own something that The Beatles gave to a charity and go to help out for a fantastic cause and get to keep and own a piece of history for the rest of your life (unless you decide to sell it...if you do, I'll take it!).


If you want to learn more about Paul and Ringo's new charity work with signing the piano that I referenced in this post, check it out right here! - http://www.nola.com/community/st-tammany/index.ssf/2014/11/beatles_paul_mccartney_and_rin.html

(Words: 367)

Remembering George Harrison

On November 29th, 2001, we lost one of the greatest humanbeings ever to live. George Harrison sadly lost his battle with lung cancer on that day. I will never forget that date and it will always haunt me for the rest of my life. George means a lot to me and it's hard to wrap my mind around it that he's forever gone. 


Even though my favorite Beatle is Ringo, I have found myself closer to George and with his music. I went through a really hard time in my life where my depression was really hard and it was a daily battle to keep going. During this time, I started listening to a band called The Beatles. On the first Beatles CD I got, I became close to a song called, "Within You Without You". As I got more Beatles CDs, I found more songs that really helped me feel better such as, "Think For Yourself", "It's All Too Much", "If I Needed Someone" and "I Need You". George helped with my depression, helped me get out of my daily rut and to this day I tell everyone that if it wasn't for George, I wouldn't be here today. 


When you think of Beatles that are no longer alive, the first one that of course comes to your mind is John. George wasn't one of the most famous Beatles, but he will for sure never be forgotten. I hope George will forever be remembered for being so kind and sweet and keeping the world safe with peace and love. Sometimes I think that George and his close friend Ravi Shankar (who recently died) are together, playing the sitar and being happy. 


My favorite late night TV host is Conan O'Brien who has his own show on TBS, and recently he had a week on his show called "George Harrison Week", in which for a week he had musical guests come every night and sing some of his songs in honor of new CDs coming out called "George Harrison: The Apple Years". I wouldn't lie to you that I started crying when Dhani Harrison was on the show. His band 'thenewno2' is one of my favorite bands and he reminds me a lot of George, whichs also adds to the emotional factor. 

If you want to read more about George and his memorial; check out this artical - http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/2014-george-harrison-memorial-Hollywood

(Words: 444)

I Feel Fine vs I Am The Walrus

I I Feel Fine - Single, 1964 

~written by Lennon/McCartney, sung by John Lennon

I Am The Walrus - Magical Mystery Tour, 1967

~written by John Lennon, sung by Lennon 

Compare: I feel like these songs changed generations of music because of the styles they were both made. Featured in 'I Feel Fine' was the first mono Beatles track that had double backing vocals that was one of the songs that made The Beatles signature "sound". 'I Am The Walrus' is one of The Beatles most famous songs. Both of them do a job by almost telling a story about 2 people's distinct part of their lives. 

Contrast: Even though both of the songs are very John based by the difference of years, it's basically like 2 different Beatles. The 1964 Beatles were way, way, WAY different than 1967 Beatles and that's primarily because of the change of the years and just how music changes in itself. Which is very understandable why both of these songs sound super different. The amount of drug references that is made in I Am The Walrus is definitely a contrast to the amount that is made in I Feel Fine (and for what I know, I don't think there is any).

Likes: I love how both of the songs show how different music can change just in a matter of 3 years. I Feel Fine was odd for people in 1964 but how amazing it sounds for having been made in 1964. I Am The Walrus has a pretty awesome music type video in the 'Magical Mystery Tour' movie with The Beatles dressed up as animals (and just acting over all ADORABLEEEEE). 

Dislikes: I Feel Fine is very repetitive, some of The Beatles songs during that time was (I can think of one on the top of my head, Eight Days A Week) and after awhile it does kinda seem annoying. I Am The Walrus, for some people, seems too odd in the style the song was made *I enjoy it* and it does reference some drug like themes that is off putting for some people. 

(Words: 372) 

Beatles Mashups!

I always get inspiration for posts by looking through Beatles news and this one article made me feel really emotional and got my mind thinking, what bands would make the best collaboration with The Beatles? 

Bob Dyan saying that he wished he could have made an ablum with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones really could have been one of the best albums ever made in music history. I really do believe that, all of their different styles and sounds blending together would be enjoyable for any persons liking of music. 

But what other bands would make a fantastic album with The Beatles? What first comes to my mind is Pink Floyd. I know what you're thinking, PINK FLOYD?! But imagine sorta Sgt. Peppers mix with a little bit of Dark Side of The Moon would be one of the most trippy albums ever (which I think would be amazing!) 

The next would have to be from a hand that The Beatles actually took under their wing during the time they had Apple Records, Badfinger. The Beatles were big fans of the group and in the 70s, George Harrison worked with them and had them on his album, but having a full Beatles album with them would have been SO FANTASTIC I WOULD CRY SO HARD! Badfinger was my favorite band even before I started liking The Beatles (shhhhh it's a secret). 

I'm not really familiar with bands that are around today and what would work with The Beatles, but how about complete differents like One Direction. That album would be known as "battle of the boybands", because man, that would be like 2 rams hitting horns. Boybands are so much different than the definition of "boybands" from back in the 1960s, but think about it, the amount of money that The Beatles gets for all of their music (back then and now) and the amount of money that One Direction gets today that this album would make CRAZY AMOUNTS OF MONEY. Just imagine. Sadly, I'd 100% have to buy it.

If you want to read the article about Bob Dylan and wanting to make the album, go ahead and check it out right here! http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/bob-dylan-album-with-beatles-and-rolling-stones-20141107

(Words: 409)

Bealtes Ultimate Sickday Guide!

This last week, I was very sick and couldn't do very much (WHICH I HATED SO MUCH but thankfully I'm doing a lot better now) and whenever I'm sick, I surrounded myself with something that always manages to make me feel better no matter what - The Beatles. Laughter is the best medicine and man, do The Beatles make me laugh! Seriously, if you haven't seen Help!, then your life hasn't been made yet!


Everytime I'm sick, I basically surround myself with everything Beatles until I feel better. In some ways, I'd love to think that it actually does help me feel better. How I brought up before that I surrounded myself with The Beatles, I wasn't anywhere close to joking. So for the next time your sick, here are some of the ways The Beatles help me feel better!


1. Put on your favorite Beatles pajamas: One part of your wardrobe that you need to get or need to have is Beatles pajamas. Doesn't need to be too fancy, it could be a cheep Beatles shirt or an expensive Hot Topic shirt with some pajama pants, your Beatles pajamas are perfect! 


2: Drink your favorite drink out of your Beatles cups: My friend was sweet enough a couple of years ago to get me a Beatles cup set that whenever I'm sick I make some pomegranate tea in (my favorite cup is the one with Ringo on it hehe). 


3: Listen to your favorite Beatles album: You can never go wrong with listening to your favorite album to help you feel better (mine is Revolver). It'll help even more if you listen to it so many times that it basically annoys you *in a good way!* 


4: Catch up on some Beatles movies: During school, I find it really hard to go back and watch all of my favorite Beatles movies, when I'm sick I find it a good opportunity to catch up and watch them over again. I always start off by watching Across the Universe, next would have to be Help! (those 2 are my favorites and they just instantly help me feel better). Magical Mystery Tour would be the one I would watch before taking my nap, because it's kinda boring WHOOOPS and it helps me fall asleep easier.

(Words: 419)

I'll Cry Instead vs. Happiness Is A Warm Gun

I'll Cry Instead - A Hard Day's Night, 1964

~written and sung by John Lennon 

Happiness Is A Warm Gun - The Beatles (White Album), 1968

~written and sung by John Lennon

Compare: These 2 songs this week are both Lennon songs, which both have similarities in themselves. Both express what happenens when you lose your love and how you can rebound from the pain that comes along with it. 

Contrasts: From any 2 songs, I feel like these are almost the same and almost different at the same time. I'll Cry Instead is basically a cry of a man who has to prove to his love that he's the best for his woman in which he lost and will do the best to stay strong and win her back. This is really hard for the man because he has so many self doubts, but someday when he can feel good about himself, they'll have to "hide all the girls around the world ". Happiness Is A Warm Gun is a cry from a man about how his life is going and how his life is spiraling out of control and needs "happiness from a warm gun" to get through this part of his life. He talks about his life and how his wife effects his life, explaining how their time each day changes him.  

Likes: I love John's songs, plain and simple. He manages to put a large amount of feeling passion into the songs he writes, you feel like you're the actual person experiencing all of these feelings. 

He puts so much of his own feeling into it, it's so heartfelt and amazing. In I'll Cry Instead, he even references things I'm self conscious about myself which helps me when I'm down. 

Dislikes: In Happiness Is A Warm Gun, we all know that the song is referencing to suicide, which is a very touchy topic for me but it's John and I understand his feeling behind it. 

*remember that these are my own opinions and I understand that you might disagree with some of them and that's totally alright don't worry about it* 

(Words: 387)

Goals: Dressing up as The Beatles for Halloween

Since this week was Halloween, it reminded of all the different costumes that everyone could be. Myself, I was Quicksilver from the Marvel comic book series 'X-Men' (but that's beside the point). This year while choosing what I wanted to dress up as, the idea of dressing up as The Beatles always come to my mind (but of course I chickened out and decided not to follow through with it, as usual).

What first brought up the idea of truly dressing up as The Beatles this year was when my friend Erica jokingly said that I should dress up as Ringo for her Halloween party. To her own delight and laughter, she really made me start considering that I could actually dress up like him! It came down to the last minute when I really decided what I wanted to be and had to throw everything together (which didn't make my mom too happy).

This wasn't the first year that I REALLY wanted to dress up with a Beatles theme. In the 8th grade, I was daring enough to dress up at Maureen Cox (Ringo's first wife) for the 8th grade dance. I went through a time period when I was OBESESSED with Maureen because I really thought I looked like her, with dark hair and perfectly cut bangs, I thought I could actually pull her look off. I got myself a black and white sorta 60s style dress, my friend did my makeup for the first time and it did come out pretty well (until I found out for the first time that eyeliner comes off and spreads when you rub your eye and by the end of the night I kinda looked like a raccoon).

Some of my favorite pictures of The Beatles are when they dressed up for Halloween parties. I remember seeing one picture when John dressed up as a Teddy Boy and walked around looking like Elvis and being super cute! Maureen and Ringo always did their best to dress up for the parties and managed to be an adorable couple in the process with matching costumes.

One thing I would love to experience someday is going to a Beatles themed Halloween party where all of the people there are dressed up in every style The Beatles were each year. Like 1964 would be their nice suits with the 'Mop Top' hair style, I'd most likely dress up as 1966 Beatles with the rectangle sunglasses with awesome pre-hippie style clothing. You can't forget the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band uniforms and end off with the Abbey Road/1970s style Beatles clothes. You never know, maybe someday I'll have one of these parties and my dream will be made!

(Words: 487)

Beatles and Baby names

The Beatles did an amazing and horrible thing at the same time. In most of the songs, they reference a name, sometimes a girl name and sometimes even a boy name. By doing this, it provides a reason for Beatles fans to name their children after those names, hey, maybe even after the song title itself!


Would you be daring enough to do this? Many generations have and I think that it will still last for generations to come. I'd like to keep it going by even naming my children after Beatles songs/Beatles referenced things (I hope).


The reason I would like to do this is because The Beatles brought me happiness and helped me through the hard parts of my life, that my children being named after Beatles song(s), they could go to it when they're down and it'll help them feel better.


In the era today, it isn't uncommon or parents to name their children to name them unique names, many of those people being famous. When The Beatles were famous, naming children uncommon names were actually very uncommon itself and I bet they would never believe that someday their songs would be used to name children.


What makes me mad about this topic is the opinion that people have against the people named after Beatles songs, that their opinion of how negative The Beatles actually were is a reason why people shouldn't name them after songs. 

I'm a kind of person that doesn't mind that people have different opinions over a topic, but why is it such a big deal that people are named after Beatles themed names? Yes, I completely understand that many people don't like The Beatles (mainly about the things they did in the 60s), but you agree that people could be named odd, non normal names? 

This is a very flexible generation and a older generations need to learn that uncommon names are going to be showing up more and more, and that things won't change just because of their opinion.


If you'd like to read an article about a young girls story about her Beatles themed name, go ahead and check it out! http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/strawberry-fields-forever-beatles-teen-4538571

(Words: 413) 

Help! vs All My Loving

So I decided to start this new topic that I take 2 Beatles and kinda compare/contrast them and then talk about my likes/dislikes about them. How I decide which songs to pick, I basically put shuffle on my music list and had it pick 2 random Beatles songs. This time the songs are Help! and All My Loving 

*these are all my own opinions so if you don't agree with some of them, that's ok!*


Help! - Help! album, 1965 

~ written and sung by John Lennon 

All My Loving - With The Beatles, 1963 

~ written by Lennon/McCartney, sung by Paul McCartney 


Compare: They both have classic Beatles "reflection" topics, in which you listen to the songs and they remind you of points in your life. Both talk about a later time in life how they had lost something and want to receive it back (AML: love; H: help from someone). They talk about how they both need love, hoping that they'll never lose the love they had before.


Contrast: You can tell between the McCartney song and the Lennon song for sure. In AML, it's basically just talking about love and being away from your love, "sending your love" and "tomorrow I'll miss you", hoping that your love receives the love you can't give them (McCartney based love song). In Help!, it's basically John's cry for help, talking about his life before and putting it in the way he was feeling at the time, "won't you please, please help me". It always talks about a persons life and how you need to take new chances, doing things you've never done before, that you never thought you could do.


Likes: Both of these songs are good to listen to when you need a little pickmeup when you're feeling down. AML promises that no matter what when you're away from your love, they'll always remember that you love them and it'll keep your mind at ease. Help! tells you to forget what happeneds in the past, get help from others and yourself to make it to the future, try new things and keep yourself the way you are to make life to the fullest.


Dislikes: I'm not really a big love song fan and I've head AML so much that it's not one of my favorite ones (generic Paul love song), Help! is also one of the songs that I've heard so many times that I tend not to listen to it, plus it brings back the story in which John wrote it and it's just really, really, REALLY sad. 


(Words: 488)

Jayci's 4 Beatles Funfacts

I'm one of those people that if you read/hear something, you'll remember it. Especially if the fact has to do about The Beatles. So these are some Beatles Funfacts that are some of my favorites (and maybe you haven't heard them before I hope not!) 

1. Ringo's first wife, Maureen Cox, was a fan of The Beatles...BUT HER FIRST KISS WASN'T WITH RINGO!: Young teenager, Maureen Cox was a very big fan of The Beatles and enjoyed going to some of their performance. So one of the times she went with her friend, she snuck backstage to see her favorite Beatle, Paul. Being an obsessive fan she was, she asked Paul for a kiss, and he gave her one. When the night ended, Maureen was walking home with her friend and another Beatle caught her eye. Ringo. They started talking and instantly hit it off. They were married not so long after the event. 

2: Abbey Road was originally supposed to be called "Everest": They had this cool idea for an ablum that The Beatles would go to Mount Everest and take a picture there for the cover, having gotten inspiration from a brand of cigarettes a man working for them smoked. Ringo thought that it wasn't that good of an idea and suggested they just stayed there and take a picture by the street closest to Abbey Road studies. BAM! The idea of the Abbey Road album. 

3: There was a chance that Ringo could have died when he was young: When Ringo was 6 years old, he suffered from an extreme appendicitis that caused him to go into a coma for a month or so. Illness followed him through the rest of his life and it actually one of the main reasons why he is a vegetarian today (caused by the sensitive stomach he has). 

4: Ringo only had schooling up until the age of 14: Like in the last funfact I talked about, Ringo was in hospitals off and on during most of his childhood. He was sent off to a sanatorium in a little bit of his teenage years, and when he managed to get out of the sanatorium and go back to school, no one remembered him there. Not even his teachers. So he decided not to go back. One plus that came out of his sanatorium stay was that one of the nurses gave him a drum set to play on to pass the time. Ringo soon found out that he was really good at it. 

(Words: 438)

Beatles Wives: Their Impact on The Beatles

I feel like being a Beatles wife during their heyday was EXTREMELY dangerous, and it was. There were millions upon millions of girls around the world wanting to get a chance to marry a Beatle, imagine being the woman who got that chance! 

The one that I feel like got the worst treatment was Cynthia Lennon, because she was the first wife and had to be kept a secret for a really long time from the public. They were afraid that if the girls found out that John was married, that it would ruin what they had just started (plus Cynthia had just had a baby!). 

There was one wife that both the media, people and even band members hated. Yoko Ono. She and John started seeing each other in 1968; very soon to the end of The Beatles, but she made those last years worse than they could have been. We all know what Paul thought about Yoko, and Ringo wasn't really that big of a fan either. It's a rumor that Yoko was the reason why The Beatles made the decision to break up, but I know for a fact that they wanted to break up back in 1966. 

There are some Beatles wives that not really anyone knows about. Such as Ringo's first wife named Maureen Cox, they got married in 1965 and broke up in the early 1970s. George's first wife, Pattie Boyd (whom I am related to) was a very famous model during the 1960s, they were married in 1966 and divorced in the late 1970s. 

There is one of the Beatles girlfriends that I sometimes count as a Beatle wife, and that is actress Jane Asher. Paul and Jane dated for a while, even getting proposed in 1968. Sadly, Jane found out that Paul was cheating on her and broke up the engagement. 

Each Beatle always put their love for their girlfriends/wives in their music. George made Something based off of Pattie, that song became one of the most popular love songs of all time. The Ballad of John and Yoko tells a story of when they stayed in bed for a week and when they got married, SO SWEET! Then Paul of course put a little bit to a lot to all of this love songs about Jane (pretty sure Yesterday is one). 

(Words: 401)

Albums and Tours = 'It's All Too Much'

If you think about it, The Beatles did a lot in a VERY short time span. Their schedules were time consuming and left little amount of times for breaks (until the later years). On any person, this would take a major toll on them, I have no idea how they were able to manage it for so long. Well I do know one way they did (drugs, drugs, and more drugs) but that's beside the point. 

This is how the years played out 

~1962: Tour, working on Please Please Me album

~1963: Tour, Please Please album released, With The Beatles album releases 

~1964: First American Tour, Europeian Tour, A Hard Day's Night album and movie

~1965: American Tour, Europeian Tour, Help! album and movie, Rubber Soul album

~1966: Last tours ever and Revolver album (this is when we start seeing the decline in their work)

~1967: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour movie and album 

~1968: The Beatles (more formally known as the White Album), Yellow Submarine album and movie

~1969: Abbey Road album 

~1970: Let It Be album and movie

So basically from the years 1962-1968 they were working nonstop. Their manager Brian Epstein when he was alive really pushed John and Paul to even work on a new album/songs when they were on tiny breaks. 

One of my favorite things I've ever heard was in the George Harrison documentary "Living in The Material World", in which Paul explained, "Brian would give us these little weeks off, and we'd say 'yay!', but he would want us [him and John Lennon] to write an ablum in the week, which was ok with us. John would write a few songs, then I'd write a few songs and we'd have 8 done by the end of that week". 

Even though it took a toll on all of the lads, I feel like Ringo got hit with the extreme conditions the worst. He had already suffered with illness and sadly he had to miss some of a tour, then when they were in India, he had to leave first before any of the other Beatles.

They got the work done though, they stuck through everything and produced some of the most wonderful albums in music history. 

(Words: 404)

A Day in The Life of a Beatles Fangirl

The Beatles created many things that still go on today, even though you might not think of it in that way. An explosion of Beatles merchandise filled a void of many 60s teenage girls in ways bands hadn't before. 

Posters, books, clothes, even as weird as things like bread! Beatles fans wanted Beatles merchandise - even some of the most outlandish ever made. If any brand put The Beatles face on it, you bet the product would be sold 4x more than if it was just normal. 

I would say I am an extreme Beatles fan. Whenever I go out shopping, I try to find anything I can that has to do with The Beatles. Barnes and Noble trips always mean searching around for new Beatles books to add to my collection. It drives my mom insane, but always comments that it's my money and I can do whatever I want with it. 

The best Beatles shopping spree I have ever had was when my schools marching band went on trip to The Mall of America in Minnesota and we were able to spend 7 hours there shopping. This meant I was going to search every store for Beatles stuff! I even had my friend searching for most of the time, and they were the ones to find most of my favorite things. My ultimate favorite thing is a Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band lunchbox, which is one of the coolest things I have ever seen! 

If it's 2014 and I act like this, I don't even want to imagine how I would act during the 60s and amount of Beatles stuff then! Those girls were lucky for sure, and I would give anything to have lived back then.

I give those girls props too, running fan clubs, making their own pins and posters and actually maybe being able to see The Beatles in concert. The modern 2014 girl is almost the same way when they get to see their favorite band in concert (sadly my chance will never happen). 

Some stories I've heard and read from those concerts scare me a lot. Most girls were so hysterical that they would have to be escorted out by police and screaming was so loud that you couldn't even hear The Beatles singing over it. Pour boys would lose their voices by the end with music that most people didn't even get a chance to hear. 

(Words: 421)

With A Little Help From Some Famous Friends

When you think of Beatles songs, you instantly think of like Hey Jude, Let It Be, Eleanor Rigby, and even All You Need Is Love. Would you even think for a moment that they ever used songs that weren't yours? Well my friends, they did. Up until Help! (Excluding A Hard Day's Night) even! I know what you're thinking, "WHY WOULD THE BEATLES EVER HAVE TO COVER SONGS?! THEY WERE SO FAMOUS AND WROTE SUCH AMAZING SONGS!!" For a time, they thought their music wasn't good. They thought differently about that quickly.
 

This topic brings a memory to me that I will never forget. The first Beatles CD I ever bought was the Help! album, this was right before going on a road trip to North Dakota with my Grandma, Grandpa and Dad (my mom had to stay home and work). I was sitting at the table in my grandparents motor home, singing Act Naturally (that I loved because Ringo had the lead vocal). Soon, my grandma comes over and starts singing it with me. This confused me so much! I knew she knew little, to no Beatles songs, how could she know this one? I was soon to find out that Act Naturally was originally released by country singer Buck Owens the same year. Now whenever I go visit her we listen to the song and sing together.

But what makes me sad a little bit is that now most of the songs The Beatles covered are now more famous than the ones the original artist made. If you search for most of them in YouTube to listen to the song, or even look up the lyrics on Google, The Beatles always follow the end of the song title. Not even the original artists name.

I understand that they felt more comfortable doing covers since that was what they primarily did when they first started, and they did do FANTASTIC on all of the covers, especially shedding light on Motown Records and that styles of music that wasn't at all popular in England/Europe.

Even though this happened with The Beatles, it sure still goes on today. Hey, The Beatles are actually one of the bands that have been covered the most in history! It's almost like a full circle, they started with covers and now they are famous enough to have some of their songs covered. 

The band formally known as the "Korean Beatles"

(Words: 425)

Who's Your Favorite Beatle?

This is a topic that is heavily discussed in The Beatles fandom and sometimes leads to some pretty intense fights. This problem has taken place back to the origin of The Beatles, even George got beat up by a person who was pissed off that Ringo took over for Pete Best as the drummer. 

Who is your favorite Beatle?

Those few words could cause you to get into an instant fight with the right person. So simple and so dangerous. And why is this such a big deal with people? Oh trust me, each girl is possessive of their Beatle. 

Each Beatle has their own personality that is very specific to them. Just like every Beatles girl has they specific reason why they love the one they do. Why is this such a big deal to people? You know what, this is a question that has puzzled me since I started loving The Beatles. 

I had a hard time trying to figure out which Beatle I loved. For a long time, I was stuck between George and Ringo. So many people loved John and Paul, I never found myself truly being gravitated towards them. It soon came to me that Ringo was my Beatle (even though I very much love George still). 

A know a question that is coming through your mind as you read this. How can I find out which Beatle is mine? 

Well, it is very easy to tell if you learn a little bit more about each Beatles personality! 

John: He the leader which makes him very overprotective and caring. He also gives off almost an "bad boy" persona. So you can always tell that he will keep you safe and he will keep you strong. Instrument: rhythm guitar. Favorite color: Green

Paul: He's the "pretty boy" one. He's very cheeky and loves writing the most love songs. Every girl sees him as the most handsome one, which (in my opinion) makes most of the girls like him. Instrument: bass guitar. Favorite color: Blue

 

George: He's the funny one, always there to make you laugh, someone who will keep you happy in any situation that you're in. You will never had a bad day with George, he'll always help you feel better. Instrument: lead guitar. Favorite color: Purple (my favorite color!)

Ringo: His blue eyes had Ringo coined as the "sad Beatle", which I don't believe at all! Ringo is just an overall cutie who looks like an adorable little penguin as he drums. Instrument: drums. Favorite color: Red

I hope this post helped you figure out which is your favorite Beatle! It could even make you convert from one Beatle to another, you never know. 

(Words: 485)