Few outside of our family were aware of the depths of our Beatles obsession, but we occasionally let the world in on our "secret." We attended the annual Beatlefest (now called The Fest for Beatles Fans, apparently) for a couple of years, the first time when I was just 7 and my sister was 8. The convention was an absolute paradise for Beatles followers, and our favorite spot was the studio where fans could record their own Beatles demo. That first year, upon discovering this studio, my parents were thrilled that my sister and I would have the opportunity to perform somewhere besides the backseat of our car.
I remember stepping up to the small stage with my sister and reviewing the lyrics to "You're Going to Lose that Girl" while the recording engineer prepared the backing track. Then, the music hit, and we were transported to that backseat, belting out the song as if we had been doing it our entire lives. (At that point, we sort of had.)
Years later, we would perform again in our high school's Variety Show, singing "Because" one year and "Imagine" the next. We jazzed up these performances by accompanying our singing with our own instruments; my sister played the piano and I played the cello. It was a delight to connect with one another through this timeless music, just as we had done as children ... and to finally share that joy with an audience.
It's difficult for me to pick a favorite Beatles song, unless I'm allowed to have about 25 favorites. "Something" stands out as one of the finest love songs ever written - as I also commented in the "Love Song!" discussion topic in our Facebook group - and I've long felt that George's work deserves just as much respect as that of John and Paul. Still, I adored John - his artistry, his voice, his entire persona. He's frequently my answer to that "Who do you wish you could meet or have dinner with, dead or alive?" question. This explains why a number of "John songs" are on my favorites list, like "In My Life" and "Strawberry Fields Forever." In general, though, the majority of my favorites are lesser-known works (e.g., "I'll Be Back," "I'm So Tired").
See, I told you I couldn't pick just one.
Now it's share time: Are there any musicians/bands that you've stuck with your entire life, similar to my experience with the Beatles? Do you enjoy the Beatles, too? If so, who's your favorite out of the four and what's your favorite song?
Finally, don't forget that I'm still collecting nominations for our TW Awards, which will be posted in a few weeks' time. Make sure you e-mail me your awards before it's too late!
