Full Description
The 1960s. When Europe's youth broke onto the 1960s cultural scene they provoked a veritable revolution the effects of which can still be felt today. The Beatles were the stars of the show. More than 50 years have gone by since the group lit the fuse under some fundamental hotbeds of cultural renewal but those fires are still burning and still contributing substantially to today's collective imagination. The Beatles revolutionised customs, fashion, images, writing and language. They pushed legions of creative talents to express themselves with originality in the worlds of cinema, literature and art. They made skirts shorter and hair longer. Society changed because the Beatles took youth - a social category that was virtually inexistent before the group's arrival on the scene - and put it centre stage. It may seem obvious but it is important to stress that the "Fab Four" literally revolutionised music. Not only did the shape of pop music change with the Beatles its contents and meaning were also profoundly altered. In other words, in just a few years - starting in 1963, the year they recorded their first album - the Beatles changed the world. Their adventure together ended with the recording of Abbey Road, more than 50 years ago, in 1969. We would like to tell their story, year by year, through a collection of events, anecdotes, stories and songs. Because their legend lives on in all of us today. The Beatles are in our DNA.
Contents
INTRODUCTION
page 6
1956-1959 THE BEATLES BEFORE THE BEATLES
page 14
1960-1961 THE BAND IS BORN
page 20
1962-1965 FROM THE FIRST RECORD TO TOTAL TRIUMPH
page 30
1966-1969 THE GREATEST BAND IN THE WORLD
page 136
1970-1975 THE LONG GOODBYE
page 198
