Every band has a unique story behind their name, and the Beatles are no exception. Before they became the iconic rock and roll sensation we know today, they were just a group of musicians striving for success. Just like any other band, the Beatles also tried to find the perfect name for their act.
One theory surrounding the origin of the band’s name takes us back to a moment in their early days, when Stuart Sutcliffe, a close friend of John Lennon from their art school days, entered the picture. Stuart, who had recently sold one of his paintings and acquired a bass guitar with the proceeds, became a member of the act in January 1960.
It was during this time that Sutcliffe proposed changing the band’s name to ‘Beatals,’ drawing inspiration from his admiration for Buddy Holly and the Crickets. While ‘Beatals’ was a step in the right direction, it wasn’t the final iteration of their name.
Another theory involves a connection to a Marlon Brando film, ‘The Wild One,’ released in 1953. According to the Beatles’ publicist, Derek Taylor, this theory suggests that Brando’s character in the movie used the term’ young beetles’ to refer to his leather-jacket-wearing gang.
However, there is a challenge to this theory. ‘The Wild One’ was banned in the United Kingdom until 1967, several years after the band had already solidified their name as ‘The Beatles.’ This raises questions about whether the band members had actually seen the film in the early 1960s when they were deciding on their name.
Still, in an interview with Earth News radio, George Harrison made a statement that he seemed to agree with this version of the name’s origin. He said:
“John used to say in his American accent, ‘Where are we goin’ fellas?’ and we’d say ‘To the top, Johnny!’ And we used to do that as a laugh, but that was actually the Johnny, I suppose, from ‘The Wild Ones.’”
He detailed the connection:
“Because, when Lee Marvin drives up with his motorcycle gang, and if my ears weren’t tricking me, I could’ve sworn when Marlon Brando’s talking to Lee Marvin, Lee Marvin’s saying to him, ‘Look, Johnny, I think such-and-such, the Beetles think that you’re such-and-such…’ as if his motorcycle gang was called the Beetles.”
The band also made multiple comments regarding the spelling of their name. During their 1964 American tour, radio personality Jim Steck from KRLA 1110 in Los Angeles interviewed the Beatles. When asked about the origin of their band name, Lennon explained:
“It was beat and beetles, and when you said it, people thought of crawly things, and when you read it, it was beat music.”
Despite the numerous theories, the Fab Four often remained mysterious when questioned about the origins of their name. They left the fans and interviewers alike intrigued by the true story behind it.
