Early 20th-century pen and ink drawing by Louis Rhead.

Snug, the joiner, in the play of Pyramus and Thisbe. And then there’s Ringo hamming it up as the Lion: he stands onstage with the other three, but he never quite seems to be at the center of the action, as when he fires the cannon alone-or when he sits behind them at his drum kit. Paul and John’s separation at the hands of the Wall almost seems to foreshadow their divisions in the years ahead George takes on the role of the quiet, thoughtful character who shines light on the others. The band members appear exceedingly well cast, even in ways that may not have been apparent at the time. The English actor Trevor Peacock, who would later go on to join the Royal Shakespeare Company, introduces the players: Paul and John play the star-crossed lovers Pyramus and Thisbe George plays Moon, while Ringo takes the part of the Lion. The whole thing has the feel of a Beatles concert stadium and an early modern playhouse all at once, its general raucousness and unruliness bringing those two venues into unexpected alignment. Shortly thereafter, the trumpeters are revealed to be John, Paul, and George, who enter onto the thrust stage to the delight of the screaming fans surrounding it. Ringo then appears in period dress, hoisting a flag bearing the name of the program and firing a cannon to great comedic effect. This time, though, the group’s appearance did not begin with a rock and roll song, but rather with the performance of something quite different: the “Pyramus and Thisbe” episode from A Midsummer Night’s Dream.Īs the broadcast begins, we see three silhouetted trumpeters, followed by an artist’s rendering of the Globe Theatre, setting the scene for an Elizabethan performance. The show was called Around the Beatles, and it followed hard on the heels of the Beatles’ legendary first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show less than three months earlier. Though club residencies in Germany would prove fundamental to the group’s progress as a whole, the tour turned out to be a blessing and a curse, following the deportation of a then-seventeen-year-old George Harrison, and the eventual tragic death of Stuart Sutcliffe.On April 28, 1964, the most famous band in the history of popular music taped a television special at Wembley Park Studios in London. The name would eventually evolve into ‘The Silver Beatles’ by July of that year, before settling on ‘The Beatles’ come August-just in time for their trip to Hamburg with new drummer, Pete Best. After finally impressing John with his guitar skills, George was asked to join-but this juncture would be short-lived as John’s departure to college signaled the other quarrymen to go their separate ways.īy 1960, Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison had re-branded from ‘Johnny & the Moondogs’ to ‘The Silver Beetles’ at the behest of their new bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe. A fifteen-year-old Paul McCartney joined shortly thereafter, eventually inviting his friend George Harrison to audition for the band. John Lennon first formed a skiffle group called The Quarrymen in March 1957. They started out as four teenagers playing grimy basement clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg, but they progressed to become world-beating rock stars who are still influential to this day.

The Beatles are arguably the most famous, critically-acclaimed, and successful rock band of all time-certainly the preeminent group of the 20th century. Yes, I get by with a little help from my friends Oh, I get high with a little help from my friends Oh, I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends What do you see when you turn out the light? Yes, I'm certain that it happens all the time Would you believe in a love at first sight? Mm, I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends Mm, get high with a little help from my friends No, I get by with a little help from my friends Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends

Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song What would you think if I sang out of tune?

Beatles lend me your ears