How did The Beatles stay so far ahead of the game?

[Hibernia&Alba]

Imagine in 1968 buying The White Album and sticking it on the turntable. Thirty songs (no singles), double album with gatefold sleeve, four colour photographs including this songs like this, after all they had done in such a short time. What an output....



https://youtu.be/Man4Xw8Xypo

[G15 Hibs]

By stopping when they did

[Smartie]

The late sixties were a phenomenal time for music full stop.

Recording techniques were advancing, experimentation was widespread (instead of releasing safe, bland, commercially driven rubbish) and The Beatles were just part of a far bigger picture.

The Beatles would release something. Brian Wilson would come up with Pet Sounds. The Beatles would then have to better that etc etc.

There have been some magic programmes on the BBC over the past few years, as it has been 50 years since all of the various landmarks happened.

I'm a big fan of The Beatles (one of the programmes I watched was on the making of Sergeant Pepper and the recording techniques used to do so) but there was so much going on at that time I don't know if I'd say they were that ahead of the game. They were a huge part of a wonderfully creative period in music history.

[heretoday]

I think a lot of the special quality of the Beatles was their grasp of the music hall tradition. It's best seen on Sgt Pepper.
Songs that tell a story and contain a singalong chorus.

[Bangkok Hibby]

I'm a huge fan, always have been. A major factor in their groundbreaking output and success though was producer George Martin.
Listen to their demos and early versions of songs then compare to the final output. Great musicians and writers but George was a major contributing factor in their success. Definitely "the fifth Beatle"

[PeeJay]

How did they stay so far ahead of the game? - Lennon & McCartney ...

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

Possibly because they reinvented what they did so many times.

[bigwheel]

They didnt start ahead of the game of course...their music was influenced by the rhythm & blues sounds of black America that emerged in the late 50s and early 60s..chuck Berry, fats domino, ray Charles, the olympics, closer to home Lonnie Donegan skiffle music was also an influence..

[Hibernia&Alba]

From Love Me Do to this in four years, and when the music scene and charts were still dominated by two minute love songs...


https://youtu.be/HtUH9z_Oey8

[Moulin Yarns]

maybe it was the drugs :wink:

[Smartie]

Funny this was bumped, as I actually watched the Sergeant Pepper programme on the I-player again last night.
.
I highly recommend it, it is my favourite kind of tv programme

[heretoday]

It was all down to the chemistry between Lennon and McCartney - nothing else - and that's it. All dead now.

[The Modfather]

It was all down to the chemistry between Lennon and McCartney - nothing else - and that's it. All dead now.

That’s a bit harsh on George Harrison, but Lennon & McCartney were an unmatched duo IMO.

[Smartie]

That’s a bit harsh on George Harrison, but Lennon & McCartney were an unmatched duo IMO.

Lennon and McCartney were immense, and the chemistry between them (when it was working in a productive manner) is something you don't see very often. Part friendship, part collaboration, part rivalry, part one-upmanship it was never going to last forever.

The focus on that pair does George Harrison a disservice but also Ringo Starr too. Ringo Starr is much derided but he got the job done.

The chemistry between the 4 of them was very special.

[Bangkok Hibby]

It was all down to the chemistry between Lennon and McCartney - nothing else - and that's it. All dead now.

Lennon and McCartney could write songs but had no idea about production. George Martin made them what they were.

[ACLeith]

It was all down to the chemistry between Lennon and McCartney - nothing else - and that's it. All dead now.
Strong melodies, held together by George Harrison's musicianship and a willingness to adapt and experiment and not stagnate. And Learning from the music of Buddy Holly 👍

[Hibernia&Alba]

Strong melodies, held together by George Harrison's musicianship and a willingness to adapt and experiment and not stagnate. And Learning from the music of Buddy Holly 👍

Fully agree: innovation and never standing still.

[Hibernia&Alba]

maybe it was the drugs :wink:

They certainly played their part in the creative process from 1966 on.

[heretoday]

More catchy songs than anyone else and distinctive personalities too.