در کاورن

In The Cavern

On their second trip to Hamburg, a record producer asked the Beaties to play on a record for the singer Tony Sheridan. The song was ‘My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean’ and they played as the Beat Brothers. The boys were becoming successful. But one of the band decided that he didn’t want to be a Beatle.

Stu met a young photographer, Astrid Kirchherr, in Hamburg. Her photos of the band later became famous. She also helped the band’s look. One day, she cut Stu’s hair. At first, the others in the band laughed - they all pushed their hair back off their faces like rock and roll singers. But later John, Paul and George all had the same haircut. After the band’s second trip to Hamburg, Stu decided to stay there. He was in love with Astrid and he wanted to study art in Hamburg.

Paul never had a high opinion of Stu’s playing, and he started to play the bass. Back in Liverpool, people were interested in the new band ‘from Hamburg’. At first, someone told John, ‘You speak good English.’ But the band became more and more popular in their home city. They often played at a club called The Cavern. Hundreds of fans crowded into the small, dark club when the Beatles played there.

The band was famous now in Liverpool, but was that enough? Everything changed when they met Brian Epstein. He was the manager of a big music shop in the city. When he heard about the Beatles, he went to The Cavern. In his suit and tie, Epstein probably looked very different from The Cavern’s young crowd. In his opinion, the band were a little rough. But, he has said. ‘I immediately liked what 1 heard.’ Epstein met the band and offered to become their manager. When he promised to make an agreement with a record company, the band said yes!

Brian Epstein immediately gave the band new rules. They couldn’t eat, drink or smoke on stage. The four young men started wearing suits. Epstein worked hard for the band and on the last day of 1962, they drove down to London. They played for Decca, a big record company, but it didn’t go well. Two months later, the company said no to Brian Epstein and the Beatles. In their opinion, guitar bands weren’t popular now.

Worse news came from Germany. Stu was ill with terrible headaches. He died in April 1962, a day before the Beatles’ third trip to Hamburg. He was only twenty-one.

During the band’s third trip to Hamburg, they received a message from their manager. Another record company, Parlophone - part of the big company EMI - wanted to hear them in the studio.

On Their Way!

In June 1962, the Beatles were in London again - this time, at the Abbey Road studios. George Martin was one of the producers who was listening to them for the record company. Martin didn’t like their songs much, but he liked the boys. After the Beatles finished playing, he showed them around the studio. The band were quiet.

‘Is there anything you don’t like?’ asked Martin.

Finally, George spoke. ‘Well, I don’t like your tie.’

The fifth Beatle?

Before the Beatles, the producer George Martin mainly produced records of funny songs. But Martin knew a lot about music and about recording. Over the years, he helped the Beatles to grow as musicians. At first, he was really the boss. But after a time, the band told him what they wanted.

A few weeks later, Martin called Brian Epstein. Yes, the band could make a record with him … but not with Pete Best on drums. In the producers opinion, Pete wasn’t good enough. It was a hard decision for the band, but Pete had to go. The drummer was angry when Brian Epstein told him the news.

The next decision was easier. In Paul’s words, they wanted ‘the greatest drummer in Liverpool’ - their friend from Hamburg, Ringo Starr. Epstein called Ringo on a Wednesday and asked him to join the band. By Saturday, Ringo was the new drummer. Some fans weren’t happy about the change. At The Cavern, a few people shouted angrily and held up signs: ‘Pete is Best!’ The married Beatle

Before they went back to London John married his girlfriend,

Cynthia. Marriage to a Beatle wasn’t easy. John was often away from home. When their son Julian was born in 1963, fans even ran after John at the hospital. Later, the Beatles didn’t want their young fans to know that one of the band was married. After their first tour of the US, a reporter asked John, ‘Did your wife like the country?’ John joked, ‘Who? Who?’ The band recorded their first single, ‘Love Me Do’, at Abbey Road in September 1962. It was one of Paul’s songs. Fans wrote to radio stations, asking them to play the record. By December 1962, the song was quite successful at number seventeen . The Beatles were on their way!

Beatlemania

It was time to choose a song for the important second record. George Martin didn’t like any of John and Paul’s songs at the time, so he chose a new song. The group said no. They wanted to do one of their songs. Today many bands write their own songs, but at the time this was a brave decision for a new band.

Finally, Martin agreed to record one of John’s songs, ‘Please Please Me’. At first it was a slow song, but the producer asked them to play it faster. After they recorded it, Martin told them, ‘You have just recorded your first number one.’ The Beatles worked hard to make this true. They drove all over Britain to concerts. Sometimes they stopped the van to listen to their own song on the radio. Once the van was freezing after the front window broke. The Beatles lay together in the back to keep warm!

In March 1963, ‘Please Please Me’ reached number one. George Martin was right. After that, number one followed number one. Their singles in 1963 were ‘From Me to You’, ‘She Loves You’ and ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’.

Suddenly, everybody loved the Beatles. When the band played in concert, police had to hold back crowds of screaming fans - mainly girls. One newspaper thought of a new word to describe the country’s love of the boys from Liverpool - ‘Beatlemania’! Every Beatles single reached number one until 1967.

The band also recorded their first album early in 1963. George Martin asked them to come to the studio and play all the songs from their live show. They did this … in one long day! The album Please Please Me was recorded in about twelve hours. It went to number one, too.