The Beatles broke up 43 years ago today

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 10 Apr 2013 7:32 am

and I remember it vividly. Man, do I feel old.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 10 Apr 2013 7:36 am

I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news--in Kindergarten in the gymnasium, first thing in the morning.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 10 Apr 2013 7:42 am

I was 16 and in high school

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 10 Apr 2013 12:46 pm

to young to remember that - but i do remember when John Lennon was shot - that was my first exposure to the Beatles (i was only 10) - about the same time i had taken up guitar. my teacher was a huge Beatles fan and we worked every week from an "EZ Beatles" guitar book. The first song i ever learned was Yellow Submarine.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 10 Apr 2013 12:51 pm

I was sixteen too. Wasn't the "Let It Be" album released after the breakup?

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 10 Apr 2013 12:57 pm

I think so. The break up was precipitated by the fact that Paul released a solo album first (and about the same time as let it Be was supposed to be released) without letting anyone else know he was going to do it. Lennon was pissed because he felt it cut into LIB sales.

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 10 Apr 2013 8:09 pm

"Abbey" was the last one recorded.The group of tunes that became "Let It Be" were done a few months prior,and shelved until Phil Spector was brought in to get the material worked out.Geoff Emmerick's excellent book "Here,There,and Everywhere" quotes Lennon as being thoroughly dissatisfied with the LIB material and says Lennon called it quits to the others privately right after they finished tracking on "Abbey Road".Emmerick also said that most of the time on AR they were working in twos and threes and very rarely did all four play together.Lennon does not play at all on "Maxwell's Silver Hammer".

I think it's interesting that Zep played a few times after Bonham's death shut the band down,Queen does a Queen tribute with guest singers,and even Cream had a reunion,but aside from George and Ringo doing the Concert for Bangla Desh,there was never a thought of any sort of live Beatles work,even before Lennon's murder.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 10 Apr 2013 8:31 pm

I think some of the younger people don't quite realize what a massive cultural effect those guys had on the world. I remember people anxiously waiting in anticipation for their next song to come out on the radio. It was like a world event, and they never dissapointed. They were bigger in their time to anything around today. Now, its many years later. Time slips away and a new generation comes through. I remember everyone had a job and was able to raise a family on one salary. The Beatles were icing on the cake when you got in your car and turned on the radio after work. They brought alot of joy to the world. It's a VERY changed world from those secure times.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 10 Apr 2013 10:11 pm

Very well said, Kevin. I agree 1000%

I was 13 when the Beatles first appeared on the US radar (about 1963) and I was 20 when McCartney announced the official breakup (1970). I can honestly say that they were the soundtrack of my teenage years, and they had a huge impact on me.

I'll never forget my 7th grade music teacher telling us about this new band from England, and playing songs from "Meet the Beatles" on her record player during music class. Later she tested us on the material! She was a little old lady (a mean little old lady) who taught us about classical music and Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops. I thought it was pretty cool that she accepted this new music, British invasion rock. It was a very exciting time. The Beatles were beyond Huge... At one point they had the top 7 songs on the Billboard charts... at the same time, 1 though 7, all Beatles singles. And of course they changed everything in music, in culture, art, clothes, etc... I don't think we'll ever see a band like that again.

Dennis Smith · Post by **Dennis Smith** » 11 Apr 2013 2:25 pm

I was 17 in Feb 64 when the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. I was a big Elvis fan and had been playing guitar a couple of years. Had hair some where between Elvis and Wayne Cochran held in place by half a bottle of Vitalis hair tonic. After seeing the Beatles on our b&w Muntz TV. I washed my hair and with the help of a bowl and my girl friend I had a instant Beatle hair cut.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 12 Apr 2013 11:50 am

They sent the early/mid '60s music industry into a tizzy that much of it and the media never really recovered from, fortunately it was upended by a force that was worthy from the start and evolved credibly as times quickly changed. The Beatles changed everything and in a drastic way, but at least they were good, and with the wealth of high quality studio bootlegs available in the free domain it's still a magical mystery tour.

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 12 Apr 2013 9:02 pm

That whole "British Invasion" just knocked me out back then.

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 12 Apr 2013 11:26 pm

Damn, has it been that long? That is depressing!

Frank Sprague · Post by **Frank Sprague** » 13 Apr 2013 11:34 am

Back when I was a young lad (mid 60's ) - we were not poor , we just didn't have any money - or a TV - Sunday was dinner at the grandparents followed by watching Laurence Welk , Bonanza , and of course the Ed Sullivan show - The Beatles came on for the first time and Grandpa got off the couch , went over and turned it off ! "that's enough of this BS ! "
After that I couldn't get enough of the Stones , Beatles , Animals , Herman and the rest of the British . I still remember the split up of the "Fab Four " - Went to see Paul last year - When he does the old tunes there's not a dry eye in the place !

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 14 Apr 2013 11:00 am

I had Seargent Pepper's on my turntable yesterday. One thing I noticed, and which I never realised before, is that there is a lot of guitar oriented stuff on it.