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Interesting facts about the Beatles

The Beatles are probably the most popular band in music history. Beatles Day celebrates The Beatles' triumphant return to their hometown, Liverpool, on 10 July 1964 from their first tour to the USA. It was also just in time for the premiere of their first movie, "A Hard Day's Night". This day is considered one of the landmarks in their rise to fame. Since 2008, its anniversary has been celebrated as Beatles Day in both Liverpool and Hamburg, the cities where the Fab Four started on the road to stardom. There are other "Beatles Day" holidays. In the USA, it is on February the 27th to mark the beauty and peacefulness of the Beatles' music in time for spring. UNESCO declared January 16 as The Beatles Day in 2001.

The official Beatles Day website says: "Beatles Day is an opportunity for the community of Liverpool to get together and celebrate the musical legacy of The Beatles, with a variety of artists from different styles performing throughout the day. It is also a chance to help raise money for the Beatles Day Foundation, which contributes money to various Liverpool charities." Bands from around the world gather in Liverpool and play Beatles music. People wear Beatles wigs or take photos of themselves to copy the album covers from the band. It is a festive occasion on which the organisers hope to have fun, bring back the spirit of Beatlemania, and raise money for charity.

1. The Beatles were formed in March of 1957 by 16-year-old John Lennon and several friends. First called the Blackjacks, and later the Quarrymen, Paul McCartney joined the band later the same year, after hearing them play at a church social. By early 1958, George Harrison had joined. They toured off and on for the next several years, eventually adding a fourth guitarist, Stu Sutcliffe, who was slated to play bass. They lacked a consistent drummer until Pete Best was hired in 1960. Shortly after this, the Quarrymen, now going by the name The Beatles, left for Germany where they were slated to play as the house band in a number of clubs operated by the same owner. They performed in Germany for much of the next two years, and played as the backing band for a German pop star named Tony Sheridan. Sheridan's song "My Bonnie" - credited to Tony Sheridan & The Beat Brothers - charted at #32 in Germany, giving the band their first hit. Sutcliffe had left the band shortly before this time, and McCartney had taken over bass guitar duties.

2. The Beatles once bought a private island with plans to all live together in peace away from screaming fans, but later sold it as they were breaking up.

In 1964, The Beatles tried to buy the 14-acre Trinity Island off the coast of the Greek island of Euboea, which, incidentally, is in the shape of a guitar. This failed, because the owners were not interested in a sale.

Lennon was still interested in buying or leasing an island to live on together, and discussed it with the other Beatles in 1967. Their friend Mardas' father was a major in the Greek secret police, and Mardas explained that through him, The Beatles would have access to Greek government connections, which would speed the acquisition of an island.

On July 22, 1967, Harrison, his wife, and Ringo Starr flew to Athens, and stayed in Mardas' parents' house overnight until Lennon, McCartney, and their family could arrive. McCartney later said that while sailing around Greek islands, everybody just sat around and took LSD.

They eventually found the 80-acre island of Leslo, which had a small fishing village, four beaches and a large olive grove. Four small neighboring islands surrounded it, which would be for each Beatle. So, the island was bought for £95,000, but was sold for a modest profit a few months later after all four Beatles lost interest in the idea.

3. George Harrison of The Beatles was stabbed seven times!

George Harrison was the lead guitarist of the Beetles and was one of the most famous men alive throughout part of his life. However, the Beetles fame seems to have attracted large amounts of unwanted attention. John Lennon's death is perhaps the most famous, yet most people don't know a similar incident happened to Harrison!

In 1999, Harrison was sleeping comfortably in his home with his wife when a man named Michael Abram broke into the house. He began loudly calling Harrison's name until he came out of the bedroom. Harrison's wife Olivia called the police while Harrison went to see what the commotion was from. Almost immediately Abram attacked Harrison with a knife, stabbing him seven times.

Harrison was severely wounded with a punctured lung and head injuries, and would have been killed if his wife hadn't struck the assailant with a fire poker! After fifteen minutes Abram was arrested by the police, yet did not go to jail. Abram claimed God had told him to kill Harrison, which caused him to be labeled as insane. Harrison survived the attack and Abram was released after only 19 months of incarceration.

4. "Yesterday" by the Beatles has been covered over 1,600 times.

In 1986 it held the record for most recorded song. It has been covered by Elvis Presley, Boyz II Men, Frank Sinatra, Gladys Knight, and James Brown. The song reportedly came to Paul McCartney in a dream and when he first played it, he wasn't sure if he had already heard it before. So even the writer of the song almost thought he was doing cover.

4) None of The Beatles Could Read Music

The Beatles are talked about as one of the best bands of all times but surprisingly none of The Beatles could even read music! Although they could play the guitar, and wrote their own lyrics, they never learned how to read music.

They did know the chords and knew where middle C was on a piano. In a 1980 interview with Playboy, John Lennon said: "I think Paul and Ringo stand up with any of the rock musicians. Not technically great - none of us are technical musicians. None of us could read music. None of us can write it. But as pure musicians, as inspired humans to make the noise, they are as good as anybody"

Paul is the only one of The Beatles who attempted to learn how to read music. He tried to take piano lessons from his girlfriend's mother but did not have the time or the patience. None of the others even tried.

5) The Beatles were rejected by Decca Records in 1961, less than a year before Beatlemania swept the UK.

After recording fifteen tracks for the now infamous Decca Audition, the Fab Four was told that "guitar groups are on their way out" and "the Beatles have no future in show business." Famous last words! Decca instead chose a group called the Tremoloes, who were local and would not cost as much money. This ill-fated decision is widely considered to be one of the biggest mistakes in music history!

6) The Beatles are the only artists to hold all of the Top Five spots on the Billboard charts at once.

During the week of April 4, 1964, The Beatles held twelve positions on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, including the top five positions. Neither feat has been matched by any artist to date.

Since you're surely wondering, here are those 12 singles and their chart positions that week:

"Can't Buy Me Love" (1)

"Twist and Shout" (2)

"She Loves You" (3)

"I Want to Hold Your Hand" (4)

"Please Please Me" (5)

"I Saw Her Standing There" (31)

"From Me to You" (41)

"Do You Want to Know a Secret" (46)

"All My Loving" (58)

"You Can't Do That" (65)

"Roll Over Beethoven" (68)

"Thank You Girl" (79)

The following week, two additional songs made the chart ("Love Me Do" and "There's a Place"), giving The Beatles FOURTEEN singles in the Hot 100! They also held the top two slots on the album charts that week.