Beatlemania
By Thomas Morrone CFP®, CPA
I have often written about how music has been an important role in my life and when on the go it has been no different. Every time I drive my car, one of the first things I do is put on some music. It seems like just yesterday, how I would pop an 8-track tape into the player and start tapping my fingers to the music on the steering wheel. Any road trip seemed a little shorter and a long and winding road was a little less challenging with some good tunes blasting. I enjoy all types of music but for sure one of my many favorite groups is the Beatles. Any time at all is a good time to listen to their music especially a day in the life of a music lover in the 1960’s and 70’s. I listened to one of their tapes so often that each time I played the tape, it would need the help of a matchbook wedged in the player for the music to play correctly. Eventually the tape was “eaten” by the player. The millennials have no clue what that means but many of you are nodding your heads and smiling. I should have known better at the time and purchased a new tape and would not have needed the matchbook or had to pull the yards of tape from the jaws of the player. As time passed, 8-tracks were replaced by cassettes and then came CD’s. Now in the digital age, the Beatles will always be one of my playlists.
They were ahead of their time from an artistic presentation standpoint. They were not only one of the most successful groups in history, but each had successful careers as individual artists in the post Beatle era. There was something about their unique creative talents as individuals that made them to be such an iconic piece of music history and they seemed to be getting better with each album they released. This creativity also worked against them. When they broke apart in 1969-1970, many fans hoped that at some point they would get back to where they once were as a group and come together to continue their legacy. Lennon’s tragic death in 1980 ended all hopes of that occurring.
For this boy, my fanatic attachment with the Beatles started at an early age. On my 6th birthday, February 9, 1964, the Beatles made their first live appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. It was like watching a magical mystery tour of this musical sensation even though my parents only had a black and white television. Girls were screaming and fainting in their seats. Even though I was only 6, I was hooked then and will still be a fan when I’m sixty-four and then some.
Some time ago I did an Eagles find the song contest and had many people respond. This time it is the Beatles, even though my friend Bill told me you can’t do that because it would be too easy. I could not let it be and had to do the Beatles. So, don’t let me down and with a little help from my friends who are reading this, be the first to name all the Beatles songs buried in here to win a Dunkin Donuts gift card. Some songs are of course obvious by design, but others may be a little tricky to find. Have fun.
A fun fact is that Hey Jude (a freebie for the contest) is the most requested Beatle song of all time ……. in case you were wondering.
Until the Next Tom’s Take…
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