BEATLES FOREVER

The Fab Four: George, Paul, John and Ringo
Photo credit: bbc.com.uk

I PRACTICALLY grew up listening to the Beatles -- my all-time heroes (sila rin ang dahilan kung bakit nagkaroon ng JINGLE) who influenced just about everybody in the global music scene. Even in lifestyle and fashion.

One night when my eldest son Paolo -- he was named after John and Paul (Juan Paolo is his real monicker) -- who was coming home from work, asked me through text what really happened when the Beatles came here in the 60's for a concert in Rizal Memorial. I told him they were harassed physically and was booted out for snubbing the invitation of the Marcos family in Malacanang. Hanggang pasakay sila sa eroplano eh hinahabol pa rin sila para gulpihin ng mga tao (see Lourd de Vera's Word of the Lourd --The Beatles in Manila -- on YouTube for reference).

Success had really gone to their heads by ignoring the First Family's invite. Remember when John said that they were more popular than Jesus Christ?

I was stringing the events in those days when the Fab Four stopped touring and wrote unparalleled song after song and retreated to the confines of the recording studio to create classic album masterpieces that we still enjoy until today. They were humbled and brought back down to earth by the Filipinos, that's why. They channeled their pent-up emotions through music and retaliated by doing the thing they loved the most.

Pag nakakarinig nga ako sa kalye ng kanta ng Beatles nung bata pa ako, bigla na lang akong napapasayaw. Pakapalan na lang. Hanggang ngayon nga eh Beatles pa rin ang nasa Spotify ko aside from Bruce Hornsby, Allman Brothers Band, John Mayer, Todd Rundgren, Neil Young, New Radicals, Coldplay, James Taylor and Steely Dan, to name a few, of course.

Tuwang-tuwa nga ako nung ituro sa akin ng youngest daughter ko na si Jaila (parehong letter J ang start ng names nila after JINGLE, of course) ang Spotify. Kung pwede lang i-download lahat ng songs...but that's another story worthy of a full article in my future blogs.

With their superb talent and good looks, the Beatles looked like demi-gods in their youth na kung pwede lang sana hindi na tumanda and perpetually live on. Mga five times kong pinanood yung Let It Be movie where they played live on the roof deck of their Apple Records headquarters (their last concert together) on January 30th,1969. Sadly the film (and album), released in May 1970, was their swan song.

"Beatles' Last Concert on the Roof"
Artwork by Leland Castro (fineartamerica.com)

Nung dumating nga si Yoko Ono eh nagsimula nang magkalamat ang kanilang relasyon. Parang isang masamang sumpa kasi ang kanyang pagsulpot...

Hanggang magkanya-kanya na sila at puro solo albums na ang kanilang inatupag. Sa apat eh si Paul ang pinakamasipag. Nag-world tour pa nga sila ng Wings nun. Active pa rin si Paul sa concert scene ngayon. Meron siyang touring band na magaling. Look them up in YouTube.

Pagka-disband nila nun, three-record set agad na All Things Must Pass featuring My Sweet Lord ang inilabas ni George. Mga naipon siguro niyang songs na hindi ini-record ng Beatles through the years.

At ngayon nga ay sina Ringo at Paul na lang ang natitirang buhay sa kanila. As we all know, John was gunned down for no apparent reason and George succumbed to lung cancer (siguro may band pa rin sila sa langit) -- we all hope and pray na humaba pa ang buhay ng two surviving members. We never can tell...Paul might have a change of heart and visit us for a concert tour. That'll be the day, sabi nga ni Linda Ronstadt.

Many, many years from now (ang alam ko sa Russia may Beatles 101 na sa curriculum), universities around the world will be studying their songs -- their influence and impact to mankind. Kung ano yung pagkilala natin sa classical music...ganun din ang mangyayari sa music nila na pakikinggan, pag-aaralan at hihimayin ng mga susunod pang henerasyon na marahil eh hindi na natin maaabutan in our lifetime. Baka siguro yung mga magiging apo ng mga apo natin...pwede  pa.

"The Beatles" by Andy Warhol

Long live the Beatles! Let us all bow our heads to pay tribute to the kings!