The Beatles transformed dramatically over their eight years of existence, with the most significant changes occurring in the mid-1960s. An infatuation with psychoactive drugs and an enhanced cultural perspective were the main drivers at this point. Notably, Bob Dylan introduced the band to marijuana in 1964; a few years later, The Beatles headed to India to meet Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Reading on, you may find these two pivotal moments to be more closely linked than previously thought.
The Fab Four first met Dylan in August 1964 in New York following one of his concerts at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in Queens. The folk rocker got the Fab Four so high that Paul McCartney felt, just for a moment, that he’d discovered the meaning of life.
“I remember it pretty well y’know,” Paul McCartney said on the Adam Buxton Podcast in 2020. “We were staying in that hotel [the Delmonico in New York City], and we were on tour, so we were all together in the hotel suite. We were having a drink and then Bob [Dylan] arrived and disappeared into a backroom. Then Ringo went back to see him, and after a couple of minutes, Ringo came back into the suite looking a little dazed and confused and we said, ‘What’s up?’ and he said, ‘Oh, Bob’s smoking pot back there’, and we said, ‘Oh, well what’s it like?’ and Ringo said, ‘The ceiling feels like it’s coming down a bit’.”
Starr shared the story’s inevitable conclusion with late-night TV host Conan O’Brien in 2012, stating: “We got high and laughed our asses off.”
The Beatles were immediately hooked on marijuana’s consciousness-bending and giggle-inducing qualities. Crucially, the band was wiped out with bloodshot eyes and slavering appetites while recording the 1965 album Help! and shooting its corresponding musical movie.
“The Beatles had gone beyond comprehension,” John Lennon said of the period in David Sheff’s book All We Are Saying. “We were smoking marijuana for breakfast. We were well into marijuana, and nobody could communicate with us because we were just glazed eyes, giggling all the time.”
While filming Help! in April 1965, The Beatles struggled to remember their lines and appeared more interested in a platter of cheeseburgers. Through a haze of smoke, the band slowly ambled through the scenes, one of which took place in a restaurant where an Indian band played cabaret music. The instrumentals, led by a sitar, entranced Harrison’s stoned consciousness and made a potent and pivotal emotional impact.
Struck by the bizarre and gargantuan 18-string instrument, Harrison made a mental note to do some digging later on. Shortly after, Harrison recalled this transcendental experience in a conversation with The Byrds’ frontman Roger McGuinn, who suggested the ‘Quiet Beatle’ check out the music of Ravi Shankar.
Soon after, Harrison stocked up on records by the Indian classical musician Ravi Shankar and bought his first sitar. ‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)’, released on The Beatles’ second album of 1965, Rubber Soul, is often cited as the first Western song to feature the instrument. Although Shankar wasn’t particularly keen on the song, he finally met Harrison in London in June 1966, soon becoming his friend and mentor. Here began the Beatles’ exploration of Eastern music and spirituality, culminating in a trip to India in 1968.
Listen to the more sitar-heavy demo of ‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)’ below.https://youtu.be/hRZqlsYg9SY
