Narrator
It's a great sound, isn't it? Some say, it's the sound of a group
That has achieved overnight success; but don't you believe it
Narrator
It took The Beatles over five years
To become an overnight success
And, much like the title of their first motion picture
It was indeed a "Hard Day's Night." John Lennon
Who almost was side-tracked into an art career, by the way
Must be credited not only with initiating
The Beatles, but also as the one member
Who never gave up hopе of success, despite many advеrsities
And he was always the rallying point for regroupings
John Lennon, whose whole family was musically inclined
Was also the first to form a group and called it The Quarrymen
Paul McCartney soon joined John's Quarrymen
Thereby earning the title of Beatle-in-waiting #2. Now
The world never caught onto a crazy called Quarrymen-mania
As evidence that the magic sound was not yet formed
The Quarrymen, originally five in number
Dwindled down to John and Paul but under the new name
The Nerk Twins, there was still disillusionment
With musical idols Buddy Holly and The Crickets
George Harrison was the next to join John and Paul
Becoming Beatle-in-waiting #3. With George
The new group name became John and the Moondogs; but
No Moondog-mania. By now, the skiffle craze was dimming
And with it, the hopes of the Moondogs
Who were still in their skiffle-apprenticeship at a time
When skiffle journeymen couldn't find work
While still working on new ideas for sound
And some moral support too
From better known Liverpool groups
John Lennon introduced the name "Beetle"
Narrator
But who came up with the final name
"Beatles" spelled with the B-E-A-T?
Paul McCartney explains the origin
"John got the name Beatles..."
("In a vision, probably, you know") "
Ages ago, you know, when we wanted
When we needed a name
And everybody [?] a name, and he thought of Beatles."
Interviewer
"Why the B-E-A instead of the B-E-E?"
George
"Well, actually, you know..."
John
"Well, you know, if you [?] it would be double-E
It was hard enough getting people to understand
Why it was B-E-A, nevermind, you know..."
Narrator
For a time the name was softened to Silver Beetles and
With various other artists joining and leaving the group, John, Paul
And George were getting closer and closer to that magic door which
One day, was to suddenly fly open and lift them
From a Liverpool cellar and carry them before a world
Spotlight so bright it would leave their image permanently
Embedded in entertainment history
The Beatles like to be thought of as a fun-loving, devil-may-care
Non-conforming, live-loving quartet
Which is more often disjointed than jointed
But, while they may have neither interest nor ability in booking
Their own engagements, or counting profits
They've consistently displayed that they take their music seriously
Themselves lightly, and world acclaim moderately
Not even their success-swelled bank accounts seem to faze
Their basic down-to-earth outlook; even with full knowledge
That critics and friends by the legion are scampering, clawing
Begging for tidbits of information any information
On how they formed how they dress, they take it casually
Narrator
John Lennon, for instance, when asked the technical question
Of how long it took them to develop the Beatles' sound from its parent
Skiffle beat, answered: "Oh, over a period of about six months
I think. Or was it a year?" "No, it was a bit longer, John, 'cause..."
"You forget, you know
I know I met Paul first, and, he-he sort of joined
This sort of group. And then George
And it gradually changed until it was just us three."
Narrator
But it really wasn't as easy as it sounds
Those last painful month before discovery were full of obstructions
And barriers, and disillusionment, and disappointments
But, if success seemed to elude The Beatles in their native Liverpool
Several junkets to Hamburg, Germany worked well for both
Their pocketbooks and their spirit. Particularly their last trip
In which they achieved their first audience reaction
Which was later to be called Beatlemania
The Germans were the first to feel Beatlemania
And this despite the fact that a good part of the Beatle
Act was spoofing everything from Nazis to Nietzsche
And Aryans to Agrarians
The barbs, with noted Liverpudlian wit
Were burned into Hamburg audiences between numbers
And during numbers returning home to Liverpool, however
Was somewhat of a disappointment
For their Hamburg success story hadn't reached home
For the boys, #10 Matthew Street
The address of the popular Cavern Club
Was as far away as #10 Downing
About this same time, another Liverpool act
Merseyside, was achieving notable success
A group called Rory Storm and the Texans
Music historians would later pay particular note
To a mournful-faced little drummer with The Texans
Known to friends as Richie, but to the public as Ringo Starr
It wouldn't be long before Ringo would be Beatle #4
Lady Luck would be Beatle #5 and with the brilliant guiding
Hand of Brian Epstein as their manager
The Beatles would soon lift off the Liverpool
Launch pad with enough force to put the entire music world into orbit