The Beatles: Not All They Appeared To Be

The Beatles – or The Fab Four, as they were also referred to - have been one of the most examined and revered bands in the history of Rock and Roll.  Some might even say “scrutinized” to the point of ad nauseum.   And the funny thing is that they were not together very long.  Wondering what Paul McCartney did on May 15, 1967?  Someone has written about that and probably knows what he had for breakfast!

A quick Google search estimates there have been more than 10,000 books, thousands of dissertations and thesis projects, either written about the band -the individual members, individual albums, recorded music, numerous collaborations with other artists, or key moments in their career.

But had they not composed such great music, had such a quick rise to international fame, had a very public breakup, and produced amazing solo albums following their departure from each other, perhaps we wouldn’t be so interested in nearly every facet of their lives.

The Beatles led the way for the “British Invasion” in the 1960s that brought us The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who, The Moody Blues, Led Zeppelin, and so many other great bands that are still relevant all these decades later.

 However, one issue regarding The Fab Four that has been recently discussed was their image.   When America met The Beatles, they were mop-headed, witty, and unusually carefree, especially with the press.  George, Paul, John, and Ringo appeared so relaxed as they performed in identical suits and were viewed in “mod” clothing when out in public.   They looked quite safe when compared to other bands from the U.K., such as The Rolling Stones or Pete Townshend and company.

The truth is, they were just as “dangerous” as any band performing Rock and Roll – they just happened to, and were smart enough, to hide it well.

Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead said in an article earlier in summer of 2024:

“The Beatles were hard men too. Brian Epstein cleaned them up for mass consumption, but they were anything but sissies. They were from Liverpool, which is like Hamburg or Norfolk, Virginia a hard, sea-farin’ town, all these dockers and sailors around all the time who would beat the piss out of you if you so much as winked at them. Ringo is from The Dingle, which is like the f***ing Bronx.”

It's true that Brian Epstein talked about seeing The Beatles playing in Liverpool clubs and recognizing they were unrefined.  He said in a pre-recorded interview of The Beatles Anthology that they wore tough clothes, drank beer, and cussed in between songs on stage, thus appearing, frankly, unprofessional.   

It’s worth mentioning they were still young lads in their late teens and early twenties when Epstein signed on as their manager.   But they required a bit of polishing. 

He set out to teach the band to look and act more professional.  That is when they wore matching suits, bowed after each song like an opera diva making a curtain call, and they segued with polished introductions after finishing a tune.   To many it made a difference and soon The Beatles were the number one band in Liverpool, then the U.K. and soon after in America.

But the boys in the band grew up in a rough and tumble environment and they did know how to scrap.  They were familiar with the more violent aspects of their hometown during their youth.

In the article in Far Out, Lemmy said, “If you want bad boys, talk to Ringo Starr; he comes from The Dingle in Liverpool, which at the time was like a no-go area, you know what I mean?  It’s not a case of safe; they were wearing suits {but} they weren’t safe.”

And when compared to bands later in the sixties like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles appeared quite tame.  But in reality they were still boys from Liverpool who had lived in a seaside city full of tough characters from all walks of life.  Lemmy mentioned quite ironically that The Rolling Stones were mama’s boys and college students from around London. They only went into the city to toughen themselves up with a “street” persona and “to give themselves some sort of aura of disrespectability.”

Artistically, The Beatles were anything but safe.  They were always pushing musical boundaries and by the time they released Rubber Soul in 1965 the band was already experimenting musically as well as lyrically.  Their brilliance could not be denied.  While touring in France in the spring of 1964, John had picked up an album by Bob Dylan, who none of them had heard of.  Lennon quickly became a fan of his writing style.

From a story in The Atlantic in September 2012, “After hearing Freewheelin', The Beatles—and especially John Lennon—were inspired to write more mature, narrative-driven folk songs in the manner of their new hero.”  Dylan’s influence was easy to spot in Rubber Soul and as a result, The Beatles left songs with teen focused topics like “I Want to Hold Your Hand” or “I Saw Her Standing There” far in the past. 

Far Out quoted Lemmy as he complemented their music, but he also said that, as people, there was no escaping the fact that The Fab Four were undeniably tough. “The Beatles were the hard guys, you know, they’re from Liverpool, man, give me a break.”

This past February marked the 60th anniversary of their legendary appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show back in 1964.  

Do you remember where you were when The Beatles took the stage?

Share your thoughts in the comments.

Have a great week ahead! Rob

TheRockandRollProfessor.com