17. The new British sound began about 1962
The clubs and cafes of Liverpool were crowded with fans listening to a newly developed genre of rock and roll music, called beat music, around 1962. In Liverpool the most popular of the beat bands were the Beatles, having honed their craft in Hamburg, Germany. The Beatles covered songs made famous in Britain by Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Smokey Robinson, Buddy Holly, and many others, including songs from Broadway musicals popular at the time. They covered songs from the so-called girl bands, such as the Shirelles. They also performed original songs, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, which were received enthusiastically by their growing fan base.
In 1963 the band began an extensive period of touring throughout Great Britain, playing virtually every day, sometimes multiple times a day, in theaters and cinemas, and music halls. The Beatles appeared in uniform clothing, wearing neckties and jackets, rather than the black leather of their early days. They bowed to the audience to acknowledge the applause of their fans. As McCartney sang the lyrics from Little Richard or Fats Domino, laden with sexual innuendo, his appearance was one of innocence. The Beatles weren’t threatening to the parents of their fans, they were neat, polite, and ready to rule the music world.
