Dear Editor:
2020 is significant. This new year marks the anniversary of major events and achievements. Among them, is the formation of the Beatles. In was 60 years ago – in 1960 – that four Liverpudians – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best (Ringo would join the group in 1962) formed the legendary band that would take the world on a magical mystery tour (or, perhaps, a tragical history tour) throughout a turbulent decade plagued by a senseless, unwinnable war in Asia, political unrest, the “Cold War,” and a righteous struggle for equality and civil rights.
Without doubt, The Beatles had a mesmerizing influence throughout the 60’s with their creative use of harmonies and instrumentation. So much so, that after they had disbanded, there were notable efforts throughout the 70’s to reunite the Beatles to support the worthy causes du jour, such as to aid the “Boat People” from Southeast Asia.
Of course, today a Beatles reunion would be possible only through recording media, such as the “Anthology” sessions in the 1990s. Yet, we wonder, if the Beatles could have gotten through all the contractual red tape of the day and the legend could have become real again, would they have the same magical spell – the same hypnotic effect on society – as they had in the 60’s?
The Beatles were music’s mythical deities throughout the 60’s. What would have happened if the “Olympudians” with their history-making albums, Imperial wreaths adorning their brows, and dollar sign caduceus in their hands would have become flesh in the 70’s? Then, dear readers, after these four millionaires would have taken the stage and hypocritically begun to sing “All You Need is Love,” the Legend would have died. . . Pretty much as it did after the release of the Anthology albums.
John Di Genio and and Albert J. Cupo
