Chuck HinsonTHE BEATLES: What if (cont.) ...
September 11th 2008 08:36
Now, by the time Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. came out, we were already thinkin' that love was all we needed. The Beatles were considered the vanguard of the peace movement with their 1967 hit single, All You Need Is Love (the flip side, Baby, You're A Rich Man, mocked the wealthy). And, with people dying in Vietnam, serious racial prejudice here in the states and a definitive rift between the rich and poor, the two songs definitely struck a chord with millions of kids who wanted -- but were hesitant to look for -- solutions.
If The Beatles had never formed, or if they flopped after the Sullivan show and returned to England, the parents would've probably kept their grip on the teenage world. We'd've been more heavily-influenced that the Kennedy assassination and the War were both the works of an evil Soviet empire -- and, despite what little "good-time" music we were listening to, we'd be pressured not to question the edicts of the Johnson Administration.
Yes, in this scenario, things would've been different, both musically and in social-conscienceness. Over time, there'd be a different progression in rock-and-roll; more brass-pop-flavor, with some strong country and soul influences, would've eventually given way to a louder sound ... but it wouldn't be the same.
You see, the Invasion (and, of course, The Fab Four) brought with it a sense of wit, spontaneity, and liveliness. It brought hope ... and, eventually, a rebellion that, in 1968, changed the fabric of this cloth we call America.
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE
But there's more -- and I'll be kinda brief here:
Without The Beatles, there'd be no Monkees. Without the "Pre-Fab Four", there would've been no Moog Synthesizer, no Three Dog Night, no Jimi Hendrix Experience ... and no MTV!
Without John, Paul, George and Ringo's appearance, there'd be none of the studio experimentation that led to loops, layers, quads or anything else that we hear today.
So, thankfully, we can leave this scenario, secure in the knowledge that four "mop-topped" lads from Liverpool, England did continue their journey into rock-and-roll history, and made our music the greatest and most prolific genre of all!
Okay ... that's it for this edition, yardbirds! Join us tomorrow when we return to our madcap music-and-memory montage. But (yawn!) for now, I feel a few zzzzz's comin' on (hey -- it's 4 in the AM here!! Your time and mileage may vary ...) So remember:
If you've got the rockin' pneumonia and the boogie-woogie flu, leave it to the Relic to add ... THE FEVERR!!
I'll see ya on the flip side!
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