Some interesting Beatles facts

Eric Clapton almost replaced George Harrison
For five days in January of 1969, the Fab Four were a lonesome trio. George Harrison, the “quiet Beatle,” as the media called him, decided to bow out after months of personal differences with his fellow bandmates. A serious songwriter who penned classics like “Something” and “Here Comes the Sun,” Harrison felt he was being ignored by Lennon and McCartney, who played his tunes with little enthusiasm. On January 10, 1969, Harrison finally had enough and quit the band. His announcement caused John Lennon to quip, “If he doesn’t come back by Tuesday, we get Eric Clapton.” Harrison, of course, came to his senses, and returned to the band on January 15th, allowing The Beatles to move forward with their recording of a little-know album called Abbey Road.


The initial album cover for Yesterday and Today was banned
The Beatles’ tenth Capitol album was unique not only for its rare mixes of tracks from Rubber Soul and Help, but for its controversial “butcher” cover. The original album artwork featured the four smiling members of the band dressed in white butchers’ overalls covered with mutilated plastic baby dolls and slabs of raw meat. Original copies of the “butcher” cover were eventually pulled and replaced with a more fan-friendly photograph of the band. It was rumored that the Yesterday and Today cover was a response to the way Capitol Records had “butchered” their previous albums. Today, copies of the original album cover are in high demand and have been sold for as high as $10,500 at auction.


Paul McCartney met Yoko Ono before John did
Yoko Ono claims to have been introduced to John Lennon by a mutual friend at her November 9, 1966, art exhibit in London. According to Yoko, she had never heard of the Beatles and had to be told who John Lennon was. However, Paul McCartney, likes to tell a different story about how she and John met. It was late 1965 and Yoko had knocked on Sir Paul’s door. She was helping John Cage, a personal friend of McCartney’s, with a book he was working on, and wanted to include some of the Beatles’ work. Paul declined her offer, but suggested that she see Lennon. Yoko took Paul’s advice and Lennon wound up giving her the original handwritten lyrics to “The Word” from Rubber Soul.


Bob Dylan introduced the Beatles to marijuana
It was Bob Dylan who introduced the Beatles to marijuana at the Delmonico Hotel in New York on August 28, 1964. The boys knew Dylan from a mutual friend and just assumed John, Ringo, Paul and George had smoked before, given their “I get high” lyrics in “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” Dylan was unaware that the lyrics are actually “I can’t hide,” and was later informed that none of the Beatles had ever smoked marijuana. Guess Bob thought it was high time to change all that.

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