The music of the Beatles + 10 Great Videos


It all began a long time ago in place far away when we were young and in search of our identity through music and rebellion. There were some kids who went for the punk craze or the mod revival and then there was the hairy crew who were into motorbikes and metal. These fads were fun but they didn't last the course and most people over 40 now would agree that The Jam and The Clash are the only bands from that era worth listening to now


As teenagers in late 1970s Britain we had all sorts of music to choose from spanning back 25 years to when Bill Hayley introduced Rock and Roll to Old Blighty. We were spoiled for choice and there were all sorts of groups to seek out for anyone who wanted to be different from the herd. To me most 70s music had more to do with showmanship and theatricals and was not to be taken very seriously. I preferred the 60s sound because it had a more soulful energy and simply because it was better


Back then everyone in our family agreed that the Beatles were the best and that was good enough for me. The music was brilliant but I felt shy about it in public because I knew that some people would have thought it a bit square and old fashioned to be a Beatles nut in the late 1970s. But you pays your money and takes your choice and you live with it. It's hard work being different but some times you just have to do what your heart is telling you. Over thirty years later I am still listening to the Beatles every day. Knowing your favourite music is like knowing your favourite football team. There is no need to analyse why you love them and it is enough to know that in your heart you just do


When I was thirteen we had a music teacher at school called Mr McNamee and he was a fine classical piano player. He used to supplement his teaching income by playing the piano at weddings and private functions but his love of music was such that looking back now I reckon he did it simply because he loved playing the piano and that the money was just a bonus. It was him who got me hooked on the Beatles because he was daft about them and he would talk about them any time he had the chance to. In fact Mr McNamee always made sure there was a chance to talk about the Beatles


One day he talked about Eleanor Rigby and explained the meaning of wearing a face you keep in the jar by the door. He also told us about Father McKenzie being lonely and then he gave us his own personal interpretation of the music and explained that the fast and snappy violin movements could signify the panic some people feel regarding time and how it can quickly pass you by. He said that even if we didn't understand the concept of time, us being so young and all, that we were allowed to make up our own minds and come us with whatever personal interpretations made sense to us as individuals. He was the only teacher I ever had who ever encouraged free thought this fact alone made him stand head and shoulders above the crowd in my eyes. I still remember that music lesson today because it had such a deep and lasting effect on me. It spoke to me on a personal level and made me realise that all people get lonely and unhappy and that it was not just mixed up and confused teenager with spots like me who felt these things


The Beatles were the first band I took a serious interest in musically and during my teens I collected their best known music and even went in search of the rarer recordings which, although not up to the high production standards usually demanded by George Martin, they still gave you an unusual insight into the atmosphere and energy that typified a Beatles recording session. The BBC recordings are especially good because they give you the sense that you are in the same room listening to the guys working through their takes. Hearing the guitar mistakes and Paul McCartney fluffing his words but continuing shows how professional and disciplined they were are as real rocking band


I read books about the Beatles back then because I wanted to know the whole story and what they were really like as individuals and I have to say I liked what I read about them. They were witty and likeable just like most ordinary people in northern England are, and hell, even my parents liked them. What was there not to like? Like us folks further up the road in Glasgow, Liverpudlians are known for their humanity and humour despite us both hailing from tough working class backgrounds on the great Clyde and Mersey rivers


I felt that being a Beatles fan differentiated me a bit from my peers and was happy to spend the rest of my teens listening to their music. I was 16 when John Lennon died and it changed everything. I remember I was sitting in the shed at school and a mate came over and broke the news to me. I never believed it until I got home and found the house very quiet and every one there numb with shock. It was an even bigger shock than the one we felt when Elvis died. It was then that I realised how big an icon John Lennon really was and how much he meant to people


That night every radio station in Britain suspended their scheduled programs to play Beatles music all through the night and the people tuned in. There followed a national outpouring of grief and the pain I felt then still haunts me. The only consolation I feel is knowing that John Lennon was a hero to so many people across the world and not just myself


As time went by I grew out of my teens and went onto discover other music and only listened to the Beatles on rare occasions. I found that as I was approaching 40 I began wanting to reconnect with the music of my youth again and I rediscovered my love affair with the Beatles. This time around I know that they are a permanent fixture in my life and they are always there to listen to when I need the need to feel reassured. The Beatles are reliable and no matter how old you are, listening to them makes you feel good inside. Today with the internet and all it's forms of social networking you can find millions of other Beatles fans and you both have something in common which acts as an ideal ice breaker for new conversations and budding friendships. Will their music be popular in another fifty years time? You better believe it will because class is permanent


If you are a young, hip futuristic time traveller wondering what all the fuss was about then the video links below will whisk you off on a whistle stop journey through the magical 1960s. They will show you why the Beatles were the group who had many imitators and no equals and why even your grannie liked them. Some of these song are real foot tappers while other contain layers of artistic wizardry that will mesmerise you and take you away to another place, but most of all they are guaranteed to make you smile and feel good inside. Bon Chance.


10 Great Beatles Videos for Future Time Travellers

This playlist of 10 videos will play continuously so just sit back and enjoy the show :-)






5 awesome Beatles albums in order of their greatness