12 Things You May Not Know About the Beatles

They were credited with starting the “English Invasion” in the 1960s, creating a new haircut trend and making some of the most popular music in history. John, Paul, George, and Ringo were The Beatles, and they were prolific at creating hit after hit. It seemed the world knew just about everything about them from their start as the Quarry Men to their well-publicized break-up. Here are 12 things however, that you may not have known about the Fab Four.

1. Peter Best Sued the Beatles. Peter Best preceded Ringo as the band’s drummer but was fired from the group. He continued his career in music but had limited success. Many do not know that Best eventually sued the Beatles for $18 million, not for getting fired but for defamation of character. He accepted an out-of-court settlement from the band for an undisclosed amount.
2. Their career as a band was relatively short. Because of the amount of terrific music they produced, it’s hard to believe the Beatles were only together for 8 years, from 1962 to 1970. To put that in perspective, the Rolling Stones have been performing for over 55 years. Even Nickelback has been around for 15 years.
3. “Yesterday” was not the original title of the song. One of the group’s biggest hits, the ballad “Yesterday” had a working title of “Scrambled Eggs”
4. “Strawberry Fields” is an actual place. It was the garden of a Salvation Army Orphanage near where John Lennon grew up. It is now also a memorial garden in Central Park, New York.
5. John changed his middle name. John Winston Lennon became John Ono Lennon after marrying Yoko Ono in 1969.
6. It took months to record Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Four and a half months actually, amounting to over 400 hours of recording time.
7. It seems almost everybody has recorded a version of “Yesterday”.The Beatles’ tune has been recorded over 3,000 times.
8. Concert tickets were crazy cheap. Even for the time, The Beatles concert tickets were very inexpensive. Tickets for their famous Shea Stadium concert were $4.50, $5.00 and $5.75.
9. The BBC banned several Beatles’ songs. Songs banned for referencing drugs included Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Fixing a Hole and A Day in the Life.
   
10. Over 73 million people saw the Beatles live on the Ed Sullivan Show. The band received only $3,500 for the appearance plus food, lodging, and transportation.
11. John Lennon was 40 when he died. That means in 2020, John Lennon has been dead for as long as he was alive.
12. What is considered the worst Beatles’ album ever? Generally, the album Yellow Submarine is considered to be the Beatles’ least appreciated effort.

The Beatles have a legacy that will last for generations, even though as a band, their time together was relatively short. While George and John have passed, Paul and Ringo continue to perform. Those who were fortunate enough to have seen the band perform in person will have indelible memories.