The Beatles: A Brief History II The Later Years by Jerry Gladstone Presentation

1. The Beatles: A Brief History II The Later Years
by Jerry Gladstone

2. • Following the success of their first two albums, The Beatles signed with the
United Artists film division to create A Hard Day’s Night, a fake, tongue-in-
cheek documentary about the group’s sudden rise to fame.
The film and its soundtrack were international successes.
The fourth album, Beatles for Sale, generated conflict as the band wanted to
continue producing original material but was forced to include a number of
cover songs, as with their first two albums.

3. • Touring took up a great deal of the band members’ time and discouraged
their creativity and songwriting.
They therefore decided to tackle a second movie project, Help!, which again
stressed the four musicians, who felt the project was not really their own.
The accompanying album produced a number of singles and included the last
recorded cover song, “Dizzy Miss Lizzy.”

4. • The next Beatles album, Rubber Soul, pushed the bounds of popular music
with the inclusion of ethnic instruments and rhythms.
While the album remains one of the most celebrated folk rock records of all
time, it became the foundation of an irreconcilable conflict between Lennon
and McCartney, which also left Harrison by the wayside.
To make matters worse, The Beatles fell out of popularity with Christian
groups in the United States, who questioned the band’s moral values.

5. • Their next album, however, which they titled Revolver, met with great
critical acclaim.
Immediately after its release, the band made its final tour, which took the
four members around the United States, concluding in San Francisco,
California.
With more free time to experiment musically, the band recorded Sgt.
Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which bent or broke many established
recording principles.

6. • The next Beatles endeavor, the Magical Mystery Tour, received mixed
reviews.
While critics loved the soundtrack, the film, which McCartney directed, was
largely dismissed. The band continued to struggle with their next record, The
White Album.
The album’s recording sessions were tumultuous: Starr quit the band for a
brief period and Lennon became entranced with his new love interest, Yoko
Ono.

7. The work received mixed or, at best, lukewarm reviews. Eventually, however,
The White Album became recognized as a great accomplishment for the
band and is now listed among the best albums of all time.
The last two Beatles studio albums, Abbey Road and Let It Be, are arguably
their most popular among fans, but all band members claim that the
recording sessions were miserable.
The band’s breakup was imminent and set in stone by the completion of the
albums.

8. • The first to declare his departure, Lennon left just before Abbey Road hit
shelves.
Critics gave the album mixed, but generally positive reviews.
Even the band members acknowledged that their hearts were no longer in the
music.
The final album, completed without all four band members in the same
studio, met with downright negative reviews, though critics came to view Let
It Be more favorably in time.

9. • The Beatles, especially McCartney, were not pleased with the album and
some of the changes made during production.
After announcing his own departure from the band, McCartney filed a suit
for the group’s dissolution on December 31, 1970, though legal disputes
continued long after this date.

10. • The Beatles, especially McCartney, were not pleased with the album and
some of the changes made during production.
After announcing his own departure from the band, McCartney filed a suit
for the group’s dissolution on December 31, 1970, though legal disputes
continued long after this date.