The Beatles - rock Superstars

(the beginning is on p. 85)

THE BEATLEMANIA

During the sixties, it seemed that The Beatles were always in the news headlines. They made successful records and interesting films.

Throughout the winter and into the spring of 1963, The Beatles continued their rise to fame in England by producing their own interpretations of popu­lar tunes and also by playing classical American rock and roll on a variety of BBC radio programmes. In these months, fascination with The Beatles - at first confined to young British fans of popular music - exceeded the normal barri-

Unit four

ers of behaviour, transforming their live performances into widespread public frenzy. In the autumn of that year, when they made a couple of appearances on British television, the evidence of their unprecedented popularity prompted British newspapermen to coin a new word for the phenomenon: Beatlemania. Between 1965 and 1967 the music of The Beatles rapidly changed and evolved, becoming more subtle, sophisticated, and varied. Their repertoire in these years ranged from the chamber pop ballad Yesterday and the enigmatic folk tune Norwegian Wood (both 1965) to the hard rock song Tomorrow Never Knows (1966).

THE BEGINNING OF THE END

When Epstein unexpectedly died in 1967, things began to go wrong for The Beatles' industry. The relationship between Lennon and McCartney became very difficult; they argued about music, they disliked each other's wives and they disagreed about who should be the new manager of their affairs.

In the spring of 1970 The Beatles formally drifted apart. Lennon became a solo performer and then property speculator* in New York, buying and selling expensive apartments. McCartney formed a pop group called Wings with his wife Linda. George Harrison was rarely seen, but was known to be collecting money for charity. Ringo Starr began a surprisingly successful career as a film star.

In 1980 Lennon was murdered by a demented fan outside the Dakota, a famous apartment building in New York City known for its celebrity tenants. The event provoked a global outpouring of grief.

In the years that followed, the surviving Beatles continued to record and perform as solo artists. McCartney in particular remained musically active, both in the pop field, producing new albums every few years, and in the field of classi­cal music - in 1991 he completed Liverpool Oratorio, in 1997 he supervised the recording of another symphonic work Standing Stone and in 1999 he released a new classical album, Working Classical. In 1997 McCartney was knighted by the Queen of England.

The Beatles I, a collection of 27 of the group's number one hits, was re­leased in 2000 and became one of the best-selling albums in music history.

So what is The Beatles' role in the evolution of modern music? This is what, without any exaggeration, can be said:

They effectively reinvented the meaning of rock and roll as a cultural form. The original songs, The Beatles wrote and recorded, dramatically expanded the musical range and expressive scope of the genre they had inherited. Their vocal harmonies and subtle arrangements, combined with specific rhythm, produced by Starr's drumming, created new standards of excellence and beauty in a genre previously considered just a new kind of amateurish music for youngsters.

* Property speculator - риэлтор, посредник в торговле недвижимостью. 98

Part 2

New Words

throughout [9ru: 'aut] prep, adv (of time and place) на всем протяжении

fascination [, fsesi'neijan] n восторг, притягательность

fascinate (with / by) v восхищать, приводить в восторг, очаровывать

confine [кэпТат] i/ ограничивать

exceed [i'ksi: d] (/превышать, превосходить

widespread ['waidspred] adj широко распространенный

frenzy [Trenzi] л безумие, неистовство

prompt [prompt] v подсказывать, побуждать, внушать мысль

coin [кэш] v чеканить (о монетах), создавать неологизмы (новые слова и выражения)

phenomenon [гэ'пшшпэп] л событие, феномен, явление

subtle [sAtl] adj утонченный, изысканный, тонкий (напр., о запахе, чувстве)

sophisticated [sa'fistikeitid] adj изысканный, утонченный (о музыке), слож­ный (о технике), искушенный (о публике)

varied [Veand] adj разнообразный

chamber [tfeimba] adj, зд. камерная (о музыке)

enigmatic [, emg'msetik] adj загадочный, таинственный enigma л загадка

argue f'cugju: ] v спорить

affairs [эТеэг] n дела, вопросы

murder ['irnida] v убить murder n убийство

demented [di'mentid] ad/умалишенный, сумасшедший, безумный

celebrity [si'lebrati] n знаменитость

tenant ['tenant] n житель, обитатель

outpouring ['autpoirin] n излияние

grief [gri: f] n горе, печаль

supervise ['su: pavaiz] (/наблюдать (за кем-либо), отвечать (за что-либо), руководить (чем-либо)

be knighted f'naitid] получить почетное звание Sir (перед именем) по ука­зу монарха за заслуги перед страной

knight л рыцарь

release [n'li: s] (/выпускать в свет

exaggeration [ig.zaecfta'reijan] л преувеличение exaggerate [ig'zaed39reit] i/преувеличивать

dramatically [dra'maetikali] adv значительно, резко, необычайно

scope [sksup] л границы, рамки, пределы, масштаб (деятельности)

genre [зсипгэ] п жанр

inherit [m'hent] (/наследовать, унаследовать (from)

amateurish ['aemstsnj] adj дилетантский, любительский

(the) youngsters ['JAnstaz] л молодежь

Unit four

Questions for discussion.

1. Was the information about The Beatles new for you? Do you know any of
their songs? Which ones do you particularly like? Why?

2. Why do you think The Beatles were so popular? Did it happen because
of their talent or was it just their good luck to meet such people as Brian
Epstein and George Martin?

3. According to the text, The Beatles' contribution to the evolution of music
in the 20^th century is invaluable. Do you agree or disagree? Give your
reasons.

4. What do you think is the role of a manager in the career of a young musi­
cian or a band of musicians?

5. What do you think is more important for a musician's popularity: live
concerts or appearances on TV and the radio programmes? Why?

6. Do you think you can improve your English by learning the lyrics of Eng­
lish pop songs? Give your reasons.

7. Do you think that such contractions as 'wanna', 'gonna', 'cause',
etc, often used in pop and rock songs would be proper in a serious
conversation?

8. What are your favourite pop groups (singers)? What do you like them
for?

EXERCISES

1. Find English equivalents in the text for the following (you may think of better Russian translations).

1....чувство восторга от группы «Битлз», поначалу охватившее толь­
ко молодых британских любителей поп-музыки, перешло все до­
пустимые нормы поведения и превратило их выступления на сце­
не в безумие всех зрителей.

2....их беспрецедентная популярность привела к тому, что журна­
листы изобрели новое слово для описания этого феноменального
явления — битломания.

3....известном своими знаменитыми жильцами.

4. Это событие вызвало повсеместное проявление горя и печали.

5. В 1997 году королева Англии присвоила Маккартни дворянское
звание (присвоила ему звание сэра).

6. Вот что можно сказать без всякого преувеличения.

7....создали новые образцы качества и красоты в жанре, который дс
этого считался просто новым течением любительской музыки для
молодежи.

Part 2

VOCABULARY

Read and translate these sentences into Russian so as to have a better idea of how these words can be used.

throughout prep, adv

1. It is known to be an international organization with subsidiaries
throughout the world.

2. He managed to mislead the court throughout the trial.

fascinate v, fascination n, fascinating adj

1. Many of those who were present were fascinated by the originality of
the speaker's way of thinking.

2. What fascinates me most about that group is the wonderful combination
of their voices.

3. The new findings about the origin of the solar system fascinate me.
4.1 find the project (book, idea, job) both fascinating and challenging.

5. Children often have a fascination for adventure stories.

6. India will always hold a great fascination for me.

confine v, confined adj

1. " I shall confine myself to the facts before insisting on any specific
charges against the man, " the prosecutor said.

2. His stories used to be confined to family life before he started writing
historical novels.

3. I'm so sorry I can't go, because I'm confined to the house with flu.

4. I wish my son's interests weren't confined to football and hockey!

5. You just can't confine yourself to reading adapted stories. It's high time
you started reading English books in the original.

exceed v, excess n, excessive adj, exceedingly adv

" l.lf you hadn't exceeded the instructions, nothing would have happened.

2. Their success exceeded all expectations.

3. Demand for electronic equipment is likely to exceed supply in the near
future.

4. The driver was fined for exceeding the speed limit.

5. The public's excess of enthusiasm turned into a frenzy.

6. Excess of exports over imports is favourable for the country's economy.

7. Excess in eating and especially drinking never leads to anything
good.

8. 'Exceedingly' is stronger in meaning than 'very'.

e.g. It was exceedingly interesting (difficult, useful, successful, etc.)

Unit four

widespread adj

This theory (opinion, idea, etc.) is becoming increasingly widespread.

prompt v, adj

1.1 wonder what prompted you to do that?

2. The person who prompts the actors the lines of their roles is called
a 'prompter', and the place where he sits during the performance is
called the 'prompt box'.

3. As an adjective 'prompt' means 'quick', 'immediate'.

4. The service here is very prompt.

5. We expect a prompt reply from our partners.

subtle adj

1. A person with such a subtle mind can't have made a fuss over such
unimportant things.

2. There's such a subtle difference between the copy and the original that
it is hardly noticeable.

3. I've got that tune on the brain. It's simple, but it has such a subtle
charm.

4. His subtle hint (намек) must have been misunderstood.

sophisticated adj

1. A sophisticated machine (system, device, weapon, etc) is very cleverly
designed and very advanced, and often works in a complicated way.
e.g. The design of spaceships is highly sophisticated.

2. This music can only be appreciated by a sophisticated audience.

3. Most electronic equipment is exceedingly sophisticated.

vary v, various adj, varied adj, variety n

1. If several things of the same kind vary, they are different from each
other.

2. Teaching methods vary considerably from college to college.

3. Modern cars vary in quality, size and price, of course.

4. There's little I can do to add variety to my daily routine.

5. " Variety is the spice of life" is a proverb, which is used to say that doing
a lot of different things, meeting different people, etc. is what makes
life interesting.

6. Variety entertainment is a type of entertainment for theatre or television
that includes a lot of different short performances.

7. A variety theatre is a theatre that specialises in short performances of
various types.

8. 'Varied' means consisting of or including different kinds of things or
people, especially in a way that seems interesting.

Part 2

9. Your new job must be very varied. You seem to be carried away by your

new duties.

10. The assortment they offer is exceedingly varied. That explains the customer's interest in the shop.

argue v, argument n

1. I'm not going to argue with you, but I'm deeply convinced you're wrong.

2. They argued about the repertoire, with two of them insisting that it
should be more varied.

3. The family argued bitterly over their common property.

4. We aren't going to have an argument about the children, but I do think
they should go to a better school though I admit that the fees are too
high.

5. Now I'm sorry I got into an argument with the other driver. I shouldn't
have done it.

6. I couldn't help overhearing the heated argument between them.

7. For the sake of argument, let's say that the costs will exceed the profit.

8. Please, tell me all you think about it. I'm open to hearing your
arguments.

9. You've heard only one side of the argument. Let's listen to the other.

affair n

1. It's a strange affair.

2. The wedding is going to be a big affair.

3. News programmes are supposed to deal with the current affairs in the
world.

4. The British Ministry of Foreign Affairs is called the Foreign Office. In the
USA it is called the State Department.

5. A friend of mine is going to be a foreign affairs correspondent for
CNN.

6. The state of affairs in the company was unsatisfactory and the Board of
Directors couldn't afford to put up with it.

7. That's not my affair (= business).

8. It's my own affair (= business) and nobody else's.

Don't mix up!

affair - дело, matter - дело

That's another matter (not affair).

It is a matter of opinion (not affair).

Well, after all it isn't a matter of life and death (not affair).

affair - роман, novel - роман (литературное произведение)

He went down in history as a man who had a lot of love affairs.

The novel is worth reading.

Unit four

murder v, n

1. To murder' means 'to kill someone deliberately (намеренно) and il­
legally'.

2. He was murdered for his money.

3. The noun 'murder' is the crime of deliberately and illegally killing
someone.

4. He was charged with murder and finally sentenced to life
imprisonment.

demented adj(formal, medical), mad adj, crazy adj, lunatic n

1. The words 'mad' and 'crazy' are often used figuratively (in everyday
situations).

2. You must be mad to leave your job.

3. That noise just drives me mad!

4. She's mad (crazy) about figure skating.

5. He's mad about that girl.

6. That's a crazy idea!

7. You're crazy to drive at this speed.

8. A 'lunatic' is a 'madman'. The English word for «лунатик» is a 'sleep­
walker'.

celebrity n, celebrate v, celebration n

1. Is it easy to be a celebrity? That is the question.

2. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, which
in the US is a public holiday.

3. She was celebrated as one of the finest dancers of her generation.

4. Lots of celebrities were at the film premiere.

5. Such good news calls for a celebration.

supervise v, supervisor n, supervision n

1. He was appointed to supervise the construction.

2. Dieting should be supervised by a doctor.

3. A special organization was set up to supervise the activities of casinos.

4. The work was done under strict supervision.

5. The project will need supervision.

6. A 'supervisor' is a person who supervises people, activities or places,
e.g. My University supervisor (tutor) said he would strongly recommend
me for the new course.

knight n, v

1. In modern British English a 'knight' means a man who has the title Sir, given to him by the King or Queen. To be knighted is to be given this title.

Part 2

2. 'Sir' is spelt with a capital letter and is used before the first name of a knight.

e.g. Sir James Wilson (Sir James, but not Sir Wilson). If the person is a woman the corresponding title is Dame. e.g. Dame Ellen Terry was a famous actress. 'Lady' is used as the title of the wife or daughter of a knight or in the title of women with a high official position.

release n, v

1.1 wish I were released from my duties as supervisor as soon as possible.

2. That man ought not to have been released from prison, if you ask me!

3. The firm released him two days a week for study.

4. Their new album has just been released.

5. You must be mad to release the brakes on this slippery road.

6. Don't worry. I can release you from your debt. I can do without that
money.

7. I can't describe this wonderful feeling of release when the examinations
are over.

8. 'Press release' is an official statement giving information to the
newspapers, radio or television.

exaggerate v, exaggeration n

1. He must be exaggerating his pain to get our sympathy.

2. I can say without exaggeration he's the best specialist in the company.

3. It is no exaggeration to say your life will be changed forever.

4. " The report of my death was an exaggeration." (Mark Twain to the New
York Journal after it had reported his death, 1897)

dramatic adj, dramatically adv

1. There have been dramatic changes for the better (worse, etc.).

2. Nobody had expected that dramatic turn of events.

3. We expect dramatic improvements.

4. The way in which information is transmitted has changed dramatically.

5. Like in Russian, 'dramatic' also means 'connected with the theatre or
written in the form of a play'.

e.g. Browning's dramatic works.

scope n

1. Lack of time limits the scope (range) of the course. 2.1 asked at the job interview whether there would be any scope (opportunity) for me to use my Japanese.

3. The question you are interested in is beyond the scope of that book.

4. This job gives him enough scope for his abilities.

Unit four

5. " I'm happy to say that the scope of our business has been expanding rapidly in recent years, " the Director General said in his opening speech.

inherit v, heir n, heiress n

1. She inherited her beauty from her mother.

2. When I took on the job of the manager, I inherited some unexpected
financial problems.

3. The Prince of Wales is usually the heir to the British throne.

4. He married the heiress to an enormous fortune.

amateur n, adj, amateurish adj

1. I must say that I wasn't brought up to play any musical instruments. I'm
an amateur musician.

2. We used to put on a lot of amateur theatricals at college (shows,
plays, even musicals). I must admit the actors' performance was a
bit amateurish, but it was always a success with the public who were
inevitably confined to our professors and fellow-students.

GRAMMAR

Some nouns that English has borrowed from other languages have irregu­lar plurals. Do you understand their meanings?

Modal Verbs