Expert: Steve - 4/22/2010

Question
QUESTION: when exactly did the sound of the beatles change (ie: "i wanna hold your hand" vs. "lucy in the sky")? and what sparked this change?

ANSWER:   Hiya Amber,
 In every album the Beatles released, they were always trying to better their music. This is being very simplistic, but I'll try and make the example I give easier to understand: In the earlier days, they started out with very basic guitar chords for the debut "Please Please Me" album (G, D, A, C, Em...). With their second album, "With the Beatles", they parhaps added two tougher chords (an f and a B7th minor). Their third album had a couple sharp or flat notes along with a chord they maybe learned from one of their friends they had never heard before.  All the while, they melded their sounds and harmonies to whatever they were occupied with (mainly alcohol or drugs in their early and mid-career).   I think John talked about how "Rubber Soul" was their 'pot album', with the following "Revolver" being their 'LSD album'.
  "Magical Mystery Tour" was an idea Paul had when they decided to put some new songs and film together along with recorded tracks that didn't make it onto "Sgt Peppers" - "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Penny Lane". Also, "All You Need is Love" and "Your Mother Should Know" from MMT being written for the world-wide satellite hook-up where the Beatles represented England. This was soon after the release of "Sgt. Peppers" in summer 1967.
 "The Beatles" {or the White Album} the following year would be their 'detox' LP...This was a multitude of songs they had done sober while individually being 'stuck' in their huts while in India - "Yer Blues" and "I'm So Tired" are good examples here.
 I hope this answers your question!
Take care -- Steve

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you for the great answer! I'm curious, where did John lennon's relationship with yoko ono fit into all of this? perhaps a timeline. I wonder if yoko had any influence on john's writing with the beatles and their ultimate break up.

Answer
Sorry Amber -- Did you receive me answer I gave to you on this second part last night? According to my AllExperts account, I hadn't
 Lennon was taking heroin at the end of the Beatles career - He was dependent on the drug (and Yoko) much more than his relationship with the other three. Yoko was definitely part of why the Beatles disbanded, but the four of them were all venturing out and enjoying their own solo freedom as well.  I think Paul and Ringo would have wanted to keep the band going a little longer, but after Phil Spector changed the production of the "Let It Be" album, I think Paul was through by then. He then won a lawsuit against the other three Beatles, and those three others  had won a lawsuit against Klein eventually
 I hope this helps you with your follow-up question!
Take care -- Steve