The Beatles

The Beatles were a British pop and rock group from Liverpool. They are widely regarded as the most important pop group of all time, having achieved broad popular success, critical acclaim and cultural influence. The group shattered many sales records and charted more than 50 top 40 hit singles, including 20 #1's in the USA alone.

Trivia

• "Dear Prudence" was written by John Lennon while the Beatles were in India visiting the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. They had brought along an entourage of sorts including singer/songwriter Donovan, Mike Love of the Beach Boys, Mia Farrow and her sister Prudence, who was having a difficult stay. Prudence wouldn't come out of her hut so John played his guitar and serenaded her with the song lyrics, Dear Prudence... won't you come out to play?
• The song "Octopus's Garden" was composed by Starr during one of his dido strikes. Bored by recording, he went to sea. When he returned the others enthusiastically welcomed him and his new song.
• George Harrison co-operated with Eric Idle and Neil Innes in writing and filming (for television) the fictitious story of the Rutles, a "Rutlandbeat" group affectionately satirising the Beatles. Innes parodied particular Beatles songs with lyrics and titles (e.g. "Ouch!") only marginally less believable than those of the Fab Four.
• Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney (and his wife Linda), and George Harrison all guest starred on The Simpsons although not in the same episode.
• Following their breakup, the only album to feature all 4 Beatles (but not on the same song), was "Ringo," a Starr solo album.
• As of 2005, Ringo Starr's son Zak Starkey is the drummer for popular rock band Oasis, a group famous for its Beatlesque melodies.
• It is estimated the band have sold far in excess of 1 billion records world-wide
• 50% of The Beatles were left-handed. Paul is quite famous for it, but Ringo's left-handedness is not as well known because his drum kit was set up for a right-handed person. You can, however, see him in A Hard Day's Night playing darts with his left hand.
• The group's name was a combination word-play on "Beetles" (vs. "Crickets") and the musical term "beat". In America, at least, their name was typically pronounced the same way as the insect, slurring the two syllables together. Ed Sullivan, famous for his unique introductions to his acts, apparently "got" the point of their name, and emphasized the first syllable: "The Beat-les!" This same pronunciation is used by Lennon in his solo track "God".
• The press-driven nickname, "The Fab ('Fabulous') Four", stuck in the public consciousness. The parody group "The Rutles" called themselves "The Pre-Fab ('Pre-Fabricated') Four". The members of the "make-over" TV series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (debut in 2003) call themselves "The Fab Five".