1962 ~ Part 1

Since this is the first post on my Beatles blog, I decided to start from the beginning of The Beatles. Well, I guess if you really think about it, 1962 wasn’t the true year that ‘The Beatles’ became THE BEATLES. To me, this year was the start of what will change the course of history itself.

The years leading up to 1962, The Beatles tried their best to become a major skiffle group/band around Liverpool along with Hamburg, Germany. Playing famous songs around the time from bands like Buddy Holly and the Crickets, to one of their heroes, Elvis, they managed to add a new amount of flair and pizazz that soon became a trademark in their music.

In January of 1962, The Beatles had one of their first major auditions. Brian Epstein, The Beatles manager approached Decca Records A&R manager Mike Smith and soon after was given a chance for an audition in London on January 1, 1962. At the audition they played 15 songs that were picked by Epstein himself along with 3 original songs: ‘Like Dreamers Do’, ‘Hello Little Girl’ and ‘Love Of The Loved’.  The boys tried their best but Decca chose a different band, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes.

Sometimes greatness comes with pain; which came on April 10th. Their beloved bass player Stuart Sutcliffe had died of a brain hemorrhage caused by a fight he was in 2 years previously. John took this news very hard, having been close friends with Stuart since going to the Liverpool School of Art.

(Picture: Stuart Sutcliffe in 1962)

With April being such a hard month taking a large chunk out of their lives, May provided a picker up for everyone.

 

On May 9^th while The Beatles were in Hamburg, they received a telegram from their manager Brian Epstein stating, ‘Congratulations boys. EMI request recording session. Please rehearse new material’. Finally they had made it to the big time! The A&R of Parlophone Records George Martin had listened to their Decca tapes and offered Brian a contract and recording test. On June 6^th, just 4 days after coming back from Hamburg, The Beatles recorded in Abbey Road studios. That day they recorded 4 demos, ‘Besame Mucho’, ‘Ask Me Why’, ‘Love Me Do’ and ‘P.S. I Love You.’

MORE INFO ABOUT 1962 COMING IN PART 2 :D

(Word count: 386)