The Beatles caused a bit of controversy when they first rose to prominence, but their public image was much cleaner than many of the bands that came after them. They wore neat suits and charmed the press with their humor. Behind the scenes, though, they lived a more rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle than some might expect. According to Ringo Starr’s temporary replacement drummer Jimmy Nicol, The Beatles spent many of their nights in a haze of women and alcohol.
A temporary drummer said The Beatles’ behavior didn’t align with their public images
In order to appeal to a wide array of people, Beatles manager Brian Epstein wanted to make them seem friendly and approachable. The image fit them well, but certain details of their private lives might have surprised fans, according to Nicol. He joined the band on tour while Starr had tonsillitis.
“Paul is not the clean chap he wants the world to see,” Nicol said, per Rolling Stone. “His love of blond women and his general dislike of the crowds are not told. John, on the other hand, enjoyed the people, but used his sense of humor to ward off any he didn’t care for. He also drank in excess. In Denmark, for instance, his head was a balloon. He had drunk so much the night before that he was onstage sweating like a pig. George was not shy at all, as the press has tried to paint him. He was into sex as well as partying all night with the rest of us….”
Nicol admitted that he struggled to keep up with the band.
“I thought I could drink and lay women with the best of them, until I caught up with these guys,” he said.
The Beatles’ public image helped their careers
The Beatles, and John Lennon in particular, resented certain aspects of their public image. When The Rolling Stones grew more popular, Lennon felt jealous that they were allowed to have a rebellious image. The Beatles, on the other hand, had to appear clean-cut.
Ultimately, though, the band’s image helped them. When they first came to the United States, people criticized their hair for being too long and their music too loud. They were breaking the boundaries of what people expected from musicians. By not pushing their image too far, though, they were more acceptable to a broader audience. This allowed them to establish a larger fan base than anyone thought possible.
Manager Brian Epstein claimed he didn’t have to doctor the band’s image
Epstein was instrumental in creating the band’s image. He made them seem sophisticated, but he also promoted their existing attributes. He didn’t want to make the band into something they weren’t.
“In all our handouts and in all our press dealings, Brian only stressed what was good about them,” press officer Tony Barrow said, per The Beatles: The Authorized Biography by Hunter Davies. “He never created any nonexistent good points.”
Epstein knew that if The Beatles seemed approachable and familiar, fans would connect with them.
