We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about The Beatles, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the iconic English rock band that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: They Had Some Interesting Ambitions. In 1963, The Beatles were asked what their ambitions were. Lennon’s was “to write a musical,” McCartney’s was “to have my picture in the Dandy,” Harrison’s was “to design a guitar,” and Starr’s was “to be happy.”
Number Seven: They Had Their Own Talcum Powder. At the height of their fame, Beatlemania was so bad that consumers would buy literally anything that had The Beatles’ name attached to it. To capitalize on this, The Beatles released all sorts of merchandise, including bubble bath, women’s stocking, and talcum powder.
Number Six: “Yellow Submarine” Has Some Serious Sound Effects. To amp up “Yellow Submarine,” sound engineers added chains, whistles, handbells, and a tin bath to the track. This fell in line with The Beatles’ sense of humor and appreciation of the eccentric.
Number Five: They Took Their Time With “Yellow Submarine.” In fact, recording the song took more time than it took them to record their entire debut album. Perhaps reason number six (see above) has something to do with this.
Number Four: Lennon and Harrison Got LSD From Their Dentist. The first time any members of The Beatles took LSD, they acquired it from their dentist. Lennon and Harrison took LSD that their dentist had put in their coffee. Harrison said, “It was something like a very concentrated version of the best feeling I’d ever had in my whole life.”
Number Three: There’s an Interesting Story Behind “Lovely Rita.” The story goes that McCartney met a friendly parking warden named Meta Davies in St. John’s Wood, and some people allege that “Lovely Rita” is based on this meeting. McCartney, however, says this is just a coincidence.
Number Two: They Almost Featured Hitler on an Album Cover. Lennon wanted to include Hitler on the cover of their Sgt. Pepper album; however, it ended up being overruled at the very last minute.
Number One: Lennon and McCartney Kept in Touch After the Split. Despite their messy breakup, Lennon and McCartney continued to keep in touch after The Beatles split. They even jammed together in Los Angeles in the early 1970s!