All Those Years Ago

It's easy to forget that The Beatles—the band and the pop culture phenomenon as we know them—were only active for ten years. So much happened in that decade, the ever-intriguing and dynamic Sixties, including the elevation of the Fab Four to unfathomable heights of stardom. Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, & Ringo Starr, especially with the passage of time, seem easier to perceive as icons rather than human beings. 

The Beatles: young & not-so-young.

They are, of course, mere mortals (despite what individuals such as myself may want to tell you). In fact, one of the more interesting trajectories seen in The Beatles' career—if you step away from the music itself—is the physical aging process of the four men who comprised arguably the greatest and most influential rock band ever.

All things considered, The Beatles were still boys when they began their meteoric ascent through the ranks of the music industry: George Harrison was just 19 when the group scored their first number-one hit in "Love Me Do." But as the years went by, as they were forced into sharing hotel rooms during the height of "Beatlemania" and into making difficult decisions such as retiring from touring to devote themselves fully to the artistic process of recording, they aged rather rapidly into mature adults. 

Ten years, for just about any other band, could have passed for twenty: 12 studio albums, 20 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, 5 feature films, and innumerable stylistic, artistic, and philosophical transformations. Going strictly by the numbers, The Beatles were remarkably busy during their active years as a band. And the hard work showed: in their unprecedented success & on their faces.

The Fab Four in the early days: pre-mop top in 1962.

When the group disbanded in 1970, its most senior members, Ringo Starr and John Lennon, were just 30 years old. Paul McCartney was 28 and George Harrison had reached the ripe old age of 27. However, in the photos from the band's final shoot at Lennon's Tittenhurst Park home in August 1969, they all appear much older: aged by the trappings of superstardom, by artistic & business disputes, and—yes—by facial hair. 

What a difference five years makes: 1964 vs. 1969.

Although none of us are free from the heavy hands of time, one must admit that John Lennon's transformation between 1965 and 1967 was jarring (and even more so between 1963 and 1969). 

Lennon ('65 vs. '67) & Harrison ('64 vs. '70)

And George Harrison, once a fresh-faced Liverpudlian lad living in the shadow of the vaunted Lennon-McCartney duo, more closely resembled an Orthodox priest when he embarked on his post-Beatles debut, All Things Must Pass.

Some would have it that their changes were merely the result of drug abuse: tobacco, marijuana, amphetamines, LSD, cocaine, even heroin—The Beatles were familiar with all of them on some level. But drugs were far from the only factor: just look at their touring schedule. 

They played nearly every day of the year in 1963 and released two studio LPs. Then, in 1964, they embarked on their first world tour, additional tours in the UK, USA, Canada, and Europe, and still managed to release A Hard Day's Night and Beatles For Sale. More of the same in 1965: international tour dates & two more albums, Help! and Rubber Soul. 

It's no wonder that the band decided to stop touring the next year. It happened to be around then that the "Paul is dead" urban legend came about — well, if that grueling schedule didn't kill him, it at least aged him a few extra years.

The Beatles, of course, stayed active in their last four years together, putting out seven of their most ground-breaking records yet: Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, Yellow Submarine, The Beatles ("White Album"), Abbey Road, and Let It Be. 

By comparison, Eminem—the top selling artist of the 2000s—has managed to release eight records over the course of 18 years.

And so, The Beatles as they appeared in 1969 at Tittenhurst Park were probably burned out: from a decade of constant travel, performance, and exceptional creative output. 

Their career mirrored the era in which it existed: high-paced, full of inspiration & change, and exhausting for those who lived through it.

John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, & Ringo Starr at Tittenhurst Park. August 22, 1969.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, The Beatles!"

"Quick, get a picture of me with The Beatles!"

Fifty years ago, on Feb. 9, 1964, Ed Sullivan’s now-famous words rang out across the airwaves, only to be immediately drowned out by the piercing, high-pitched screams of the 728 audience members in attendance at CBS Studio 50.

The Beatles’ debut appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” was so much more than a performance for several hundred swooning fans in a New York television studio. That night, an estimated 73 million viewers tuned in across the United States to watch the hour-long program, according to The New York Times, shattering the previous record for television viewership.

Years later, in an interview for “The Beatles Anthology,” George Harrison would remark, “We were aware that ‘Ed Sullivan’ was the big one because we got a telegram from Elvis and the Colonel. And I’ve heard that while the show was on there were no reported crimes, or very few. When The Beatles were on ‘Ed Sullivan,’ even the criminals had a rest for 10 minutes.”

As The Fab Four launched into a pulsing rendition of “All My Loving” to open their set, it was clear that the British Invasion — and, more specifically, Beatlemania — had taken America by storm.

The Beatles’ five-song set, which included such timeless hits as “She Loves You” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” was filled with numerous quirky and iconic moments.

A bewildered John Lennon takes note of his special introduction.
(Note: His reaction quickly transformed into amusement.)

Memorably, as Paul McCartney sang a cover of “Till There Was You,” a ballad written by Meredith Wilson for the 1957 musical “The Music Man,” the band members were introduced in a succession of close-up shots as their names flashed across the screen. When the camera settled on John Lennon, the caption read: “SORRY GIRLS, HE’S MARRIED.”

Though the dreams of Lennon’s innumerable female admirers were crushed that night, the real dream was only beginning. Over the coming years, The Beatles would change the face of the popular music scene forever.

The performance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” was the catalyst for a cultural phenomenon that is still alive and well today. The band would go on to appear on the program the following two Sundays and by April, Beatles songs occupied each of the top five spots on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.

With more than 600 million albums sold worldwide, The Beatles are the best-selling band in history. Their level of success was, and is, so extensive that a compilation album titled “1” was released in 2000, comprising the band’s 27 No. 1 singles.

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr perform at Los Angeles
Convention Center as part of "The Beatles: The Night
That Changed America- A Grammy Salute."

Just a few weeks ago, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney reunited at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards to perform “Queenie Eye,” a song from McCartney’s recently released album, “New.” 

They took the stage again for a CBS special Sunday night, “The Beatles: The Night That Changed America — A Grammy Salute,” surrounded by contemporary A-list performers like Alicia Keys, John Legend and Katy Perry, and the two remaining Beatles reaffirmed their status as hyper-relevant musical icons.

But 50 years ago, as they waited backstage for Ed Sullivan to introduce them to America, John, Paul, George and Ringo were just four young lads from Liverpool, unaware they were on the verge of inciting a pop culture revolution. Imagine that.

Republished with permission of The Lantern, thelantern.com, Ohio State University.