Context notes for the Edexcel Music A Level set works The Beatles
Details of key dates and information, as well as context points that can be easily used in essays
THE BEATLES
Background
All four members were born and grew up in Liverpool
The Beatles were a British rock band who changed the face of pop music in the
1960s.
They achieved worldwide fame, becoming as popular in the United States as they
were in the UK.
First single ‘Love Me Do’ was released in October 1962 (no.17 in UK charts, no.1 in
USA)
Most songs written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon
McCartney was famous for his lyrical melodic style, while Lennon was famous for his
unusual lyrics
George Harrison (lead guitar) and Ringo Star (drums) also wrote some songs
Musical style
In their early music their approach was influenced by rhythm and blues performers
such as Chuck Berry, but by the time of the album Revolver they had developed their
own unique style.
This included elements of Indian and classical music, as well as the psychedelic rock
styles of the second half of the decade. 20th-century avant-garde techniques also
occasionally featured – notably musique concrète – the use of manipulated tape
loops.
Experimentation of genres including American rock and roll, R&B, folk-rock, country,
psychedelia, baroque pop, as well as their own unique style
Producer
The 60s saw the rise of the producer - they controlled what artists performed and
how their music was recorded
The Beatles' producer George Martin was a crucial element in their success. He
wrote many of the arrangements for their studio recordings.
His classical training resulted in the kind of instrumentation we find in ‘Eleanor Rigby’
and other songs. The studio techniques used in the album were ground breaking.
Influences
Elvis Presley - "Nothing really affected me until I heard Elvis. If there hadn't been
Elvis, there would not have been the Beatles." - John Lennon
1960s folk pop music
Rise of 'rock and roll' music in the 1950s
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