Beatles Life with the Band

Book excerpt: In 1962, Pete Best, the then drummer of The Beatles, was replaced by Ringo Starr and the reconstituted band recorded its first single in Liverpool. A legend was born: John, Paul, George, and Ringo?"collectively the most popular and influential rock and roll band that the world has ever seen. The Beatles came to define their era in a way that no other band or performer has managed. The band only produced music between 1962 and 1970, but in the course of their eight remarkable years, they produced a dozen astonishing albums of original, mainly self-composed music. At least two of those albums invariably make every "all time great" chart list: Revolver and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Their success was truly global and during their heyday and for some years after, they were four of the most recognizable faces on the planet; arguably, they remain so. This British rock and roll band took the world by storm in the 60s and their timeless music remains popular today. The accompanying DVD features a mixture of interviews with the band, reportage of the travels of the "Fab Four," press conferences, and interviews with them and their entourage from 1963 onward. It also includes an extra feature, a documentary on John's "We're more popular than Jesus" remark and its aftermath.