甲殼蟲光輝歲月裏的10件軼事(上)

In just a few short years, The Beatles created the most iconic albums of all time, changing music and pop culture forever. And while they recorded their greatest hits, the four lads from Liverpool were living out some of rock and roll's craziest stories. From their first American tour to their troubled last days, The Beatles were constantly cooking up the strangest plans, meeting the most interesting people, and winding up in the weirdest places.

在短短几年時間裏，甲殼蟲創造了有史以來最具標誌性的歌曲專輯，爲音樂和流行文化帶來了永久的變化。在他們錄製風靡一時的金曲的過程中，這四個來自利物浦的青年製造了搖滾樂瘋狂的故事。從首次美國之旅，到最後煩不勝煩的日子，甲殼蟲樂此不疲：制定稀奇古怪的計劃，會見趣味無窮的人，以及住在偏僻怪異的地方。

Jelly Bean Incident

10.果凍豆事件

When The Beatles arrived in America in 1964, they sparked a wild tide of mass hysteria that we all know as Beatlemania. Over 75 million people tuned in to watch their performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, and when they showed up in Washington, D.C., they had to rent the entire seventh floor of the Shoreham Hotel to escape their frenzied fans.

1964年甲殼蟲到達美國後，引起了一股狂潮，後來稱爲"甲殼蟲狂熱"。超過7500萬人觀看了他們的表演《埃德·沙利文秀》。當在華盛頓特區出現時，他們不得不把肖雷漢姆酒店整個第七層全部租下來，否則躲不開狂熱的粉絲。

During their 34-day tour, the band played at Carnegie Hall and San Francisco's Cow Palace, but perhaps their most painful performance was at the Coliseum in D.C. A boxing arena, the stage was set in the middle of the auditorium, meaning the boys were surrounded. Throughout the gig, they had to turn around continually so everyone could glimpse their faces. That meant Ringo had to get up between songs and drag his kit around by himself.

在他們34天的旅途中，樂隊在卡內基音樂廳和舊金山公牛體育館等地方演出，但讓他們最難受的演出也許是在特區競技場那一次。舞臺是一個拳擊比賽場，設在觀衆席中央，以便樂隊處在樂迷中央。在整個特約演出過程中，他們不得不一直四方轉動，否則另外三個方向的觀衆看不見他們的臉。這就意味着，林戈必須在換曲間隙立即起身，自己抓起放在身邊的道具。

Then fans brought out the jelly beans. Before their performance, The Beatles had been interviewed by the New York Times, and George made a comment about how much he liked "jelly babies." Eager to please, starstruck fans loaded their pockets with jelly beans and hurled them at the stage, hitting the band from every side. The candies hit their guitar strings, pinged against Ringo's cymbals, and smacked the performers in the e'd been a major misunderstanding. Jelly beans aren't jelly babies. Babies are soft (the US equivalent would be gummi bears), while beans are pretty hard. George was worried he might go blind. "It's a bit dangerous, you know," he once said, "because if a jelly bean, traveling about 50 miles an hour through the air, hits you in the eye, you're finished." Fortunately, the boys made it through, battered but alive, and went on to play another of the few men in the audience that evening was future vice president Al Gore. He claims that he didn't throw any jelly beans.

樂迷帶來了果凍豆。表演開始前，甲殼蟲接受了《紐約時報》的採訪，喬治說了說他喜歡"果凍寶寶"這種甜食的程度。滿懷熱情的追星族把口袋裝滿了果凍豆，還撒向了舞臺，從四面八方投向樂隊。糖豆落在吉他琴絃上，打在林戈的鈸上，飛到表演者的臉上。一個巨大的誤會產生了。果凍豆不是"果凍寶寶"。果凍寶寶很軟，而糖豆相當硬。喬治很擔心自己會瞎掉。"有點兒危險，你知道，"他曾經說，"因爲糖豆在空氣中的速度是每小時50英里，擊中眼部，你就完蛋了。"幸運的是，樂隊成員熬了過來，雖被擊中，但是都好好兒的，幾天後繼續演出。當晚觀衆中有一人後來成爲了美國副總統——阿爾·戈爾。他聲稱沒扔過一粒糖豆。

ie Nicol's 10-Day Drumming Gig

9.特邀吉米·尼克爾打鼓10天

Beatles fans love to debate the identity of the "Fifth Beatle," that unofficial member who helped push the band to greatness. Some say it's original drummer Pete Best. Others point to Stuart Sutcliffe, the first Beatles' bassist. Still other contenders for the title are manager Brian Epstein, producer George Martin, and "Let It Be" pianist Billy Preston. But perhaps the best candidate for fifth Beatle is Jimmie Nicol, the man who replaced Ringo.

甲殼蟲粉絲喜歡爭辯誰是"第五位甲殼蟲"——樂隊非正式成員，但對樂隊的輝煌貢獻了力量。有人認爲他應該是最初的鼓手彼得·貝斯特。其他人則認爲應該是斯圖爾特·薩克利夫，甲殼蟲第一位貝斯手。當然還有其他候選人：經理布萊恩·厄普斯頓、製作人喬治·馬丁和唱片《隨它去》的鋼琴手比利·普雷斯頓。儘管如此，也許最佳候選人要數吉米·尼克爾，他替代了林戈。

Nicol was a 24-year-old drummer and the head of his own band, The Shubdubs. But one day in June 1964, he got a call from Brian Epstein. Ringo was sick with tonsillitis, and the band was about to go on tour. Epstein couldn't cancel, so he was wondering if Jimmie was interested in filling Starr's ie jumped at the chance, but there were a few snags. George opposed the plan—and Ringo's pants were too short for the new drummer. But a couple of arguments, one audition, and a moptop haircut later, Nicol was touring with the world's most famous band. They performed in Australia, Holland, Denmark, and Hong Kong. Everywhere Nicol went, he was mobbed by screaming girls. True, when he was on his own, no one recognized him. But with John, Paul, and George by his side, Nicol was a for poor Ringo, he was back in England, sitting in a hospital bed, feeling down in the dumps. "They'd taken Jimmie Nicol, and I thought they didn't love me anymore," he said. Then Paul sent Ringo a "get well" card, and 10 days later, Richard Starkey was feeling better and ready to rock. On his final night on tour, Jimmie was given a £500 bonus and a gold watch. Then he caught a plane back to England, and his glory days were l's post-Beatles career was less than impressive. His band, The Shubdubs, didn't do very well, and by 1965, he was bankrupt. He quit the music scene in '67, and in recent years, he's vanished from the face of the Earth. He's supposedly living in London, but Nicol's own son isn't sure if he's alive or not. But Nicol's influence has outlasted his reputation. Back on his 10-day tour, the guys would occasionally ask Jimmie how he was getting along. His stock answer was, "It's getting better." Inspired, Paul and John took his catchphrase and turned it into their Sgt. Pepper song "Getting Better."

尼克爾，一位24歲的鼓手，組建了自己的樂隊。但在1964年6月的一天，他接到布萊恩·厄普斯頓的電話。林戈感染了扁桃體炎，而樂隊即將開始巡演。厄普斯頓無法取消，所以問問吉米是否樂意接替斯塔爾的職位。吉米抓住了這個機會，期間也遇到幾個麻煩。喬治反對這項計劃——林戈的褲子吉米穿起來太短。但是經過幾番爭論、一次試演、改換拖把頭之後，尼克爾與世界最著名的樂隊開始巡演。他們在澳大利亞、荷蘭、丹麥和香港演出。尼克爾每到一個地方，都會被一羣尖叫的女孩兒團團圍住。而一個人單獨外出，他完全不會被認出來。只要約翰、保羅和喬治在他旁邊，尼克爾就是超級明星。可憐的林戈在英國大後方，坐在病牀上，黯然神傷。"他們帶吉米·尼克爾去了，我想他們不再愛我。"他這樣說。保羅給林戈寄過一張祝他"早日康復"的卡片，10天之後，理查德·斯塔基感覺好了，準備重回樂隊。在巡演最後一天晚上，吉米收到500英鎊津貼和一隻金錶。隨後他乘飛機回到英格蘭，他的光榮歲月暫告一段落。尼克爾離開甲殼蟲後的事業不再驚心動魄。他的樂隊表現不是很好，1965年他破產了。1967年，他離開了樂壇；隨後幾年，他從地球上消失了。據說他住在倫敦，但是尼克爾的兒子不能確定他是否還活着。雖然這樣，尼克爾的影響力比他的名聲持續得更久。在那10天巡演期間，隊友偶爾會問吉米感覺如何。他的答案嚇人一跳："越來越好了。"保羅和約翰受到啓發，用他精闢的話創作了專輯《胡椒軍士》裏的歌曲"越來越好"。

Great Beatles Relay Race

8.大甲殼蟲接力賽

The Beatles knew a thing or two about music, but even the biggest Beatlemaniac will admit the Fab Four weren't all that athletic. According to biographer Bob Spitz, there was a time when The Beatles smoked hundreds of cigarettes a day. While it didn't seem to affect their voices, all that tar and nicotine took their toll on their health. George Harrison even admitted that all those cigs contributed to his fatal lung cancer.

甲殼蟲樂隊成員懂音樂，而即使是最癡迷的甲迷也承認他們並不都擅長運動。據傳記作家鮑勃·斯匹茨所言，有段時間甲殼蟲一天燒掉幾百支菸。儘管他們的嗓子似乎不受影響，這些焦油和尼古丁卻破壞了他們的健康。喬治·哈里森甚至承認是這些煙導致他患上致命的肺癌的。

Regardless of their personal habits, The Beatles were eager to show off their sporting skills on the set of their 1965 film Help! It was the boys' last day on set, filming at Cliveden House, a 19th-century mansion in Maidenhead, Berkshire. When the four weren't filming, they were goofing off and playing softball, until someone on the crew challenged them to a relay setup was simple. There were four teams, each one made of six men. The teams were divided into four groups: electricians, carpenters, the camera crew, and the Fab Four. Rounding out The Beatles' team were their road manager and their chauffeur, and when somebody shouted "go," the sprinters took off, tearing their way around the Cliveden House and through the garden. According to Paul, the runners covered at least a mile, and believe it or not, The Beatles won. And thanks to a visiting American DJ who brought along a camera, you can see some of the race for yourself on the Help! DVD.

除了個人習慣，甲殼蟲渴望在他們1965年拍攝的影片《救命！》中展現他們的運動技能。最後一天，他們在克萊夫登莊園拍攝——這是伯克郡梅登黑德一座19世紀的別墅。當他們四人不用拍攝時，他們會玩壘球消磨時間，除非攝製組有人向他們挑戰接力賽。分組很簡單。共4隊，每隊6人。小隊被分爲4組：電工、木匠、攝影和甲殼蟲。甲殼蟲隊另兩名隊員是他們的巡演規劃人和私人司機。聽到有人喊"跑"，短跑健將們一躍而出，沿着克萊夫登莊園和花園跑去。據保羅所說，參賽者至少要跑一英里，無論你相不相信，甲殼蟲隊總會贏。多謝一位帶着相機到訪的美國音樂節目主持人，你可以自己看看《救命！》DVD裏面的比賽片段。

The Beatles Met Elvis

7.當甲殼蟲遇到貓王

As big-time celebrities, The Beatles got to meet quite a few famous people. In 1964, they posed for photos with soon-to-be-champion Cassius Clay, who eventually changed his name to Muhammad Ali. That same year, Bob Dylan introduced the boys to marijuana, one of the more iconic events in Beatles lore. But perhaps the most interesting meet-up took place in 1965, when The Beatles visited the King of Rock and Roll himself, Elvis Presley.

作爲一等一的名人，甲殼蟲能夠見到衆多著名人士。1964年，他們與隨即將奪冠的卡修斯·克萊合影，卡修斯最終改名換姓，即穆罕默德·阿里。同年，鮑勃·迪倫介紹甲殼蟲認識了大麻，這是甲殼蟲樂隊的標誌性事件之一。但是，或許最有意思的會面發生在1965年——甲殼蟲拜訪搖滾樂之父，貓王埃爾維斯·普雷斯利。

This was a pretty big deal for John Lennon. As a boy, John had been an Elvis groupie, complete with Presley hair, long sideburns, and a poster of the King on his bedroom wall. He even once said that if it wasn't for Elvis, "I wouldn't be here." The first time the two legends interacted was right after The Beatles' performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." The King sent a congratulatory telegram, but the rockers didn't actually meet until the Beatles' second American Party was held at Elvis's Bel Air mansion, and unfortunately for fans, cameras and microphones weren't allowed inside. When The Beatles finally showed up for the big meet, things began awkwardly. The Brits weren't sure what to say, and John started the conversation with a half-kidding insult, asking Elvis why he was making so many stupid movies instead of recording new material. "What happened to good old rock and roll?" he asked. Presley wasn't too offended and even managed to ease the tension when he said, "If you guys are just going to sit around and stare at me, I'm going to bed." With the ice broken, everyone loosened up and had a better time. John and Elvis talked about Dr. Strangelove, while George smoked weed with one of the Memphis Mafia. Elvis's manager, Colonel Parker, operated a craps table and a roulette wheel, and the King played pool with Ringo. Elvis eventually whipped out a few guitars for an impromptu jam hours later, the meeting was over. The Beatles returned to their apartments, and they never met Elvis again. Elvis eventually turned his back on the band. In 1971, he requested a meeting with J. Edgar Hoover, claiming that he wanted to work as an FBI informant and rat out subversives in the entertainment industry. At the top of his hit list were The Beatles, who'd "laid the groundwork for many of the problems we are having with young people by their filthy, unkempt appearance and suggestive music." The head of the FBI declined Elvis's assistance.

這是約翰·列儂的大事。小時候，約翰就是貓王的追星族，留着貓王那樣的髮型和長長的鬢角，在自己的房間裏貼滿了貓王的畫報。他曾經甚至說，要不是因爲貓王，"我根本不會待在這兒。"這兩個傳奇故事的第一個交集剛好是在甲殼蟲表演完"埃德·薩利文秀"之後。貓王發來一份賀電，他們實際上並沒見面，直到甲殼蟲第二次到美國巡演。聚會在貓王的貝萊爾別墅進行，可惜裏面不允許使用相機或者話筒。甲殼蟲終於在這個盛大的聚會上露面，但問題也隨之出現。這羣英國人不知道說什麼，約翰半開玩笑半冒犯地開了頭，他問貓王爲什麼拍了這麼多愚蠢的電影而沒有錄新唱片。"優秀的老搖滾樂手怎麼了？"他問到。普雷斯利沒有感到太唐突，甚至緩和了緊張的氣氛，他說到，"如果你們幾個就只是四處坐下來盯着我，那我就去睡了。"打破了僵硬的場面，大家都放鬆了，過得很愉快。約翰和艾維斯談了談電影《奇愛博士》，而喬治與一個孟菲斯黑手黨在一旁抽菸。埃爾維斯的經紀人，帕克上校，組織了一桌雙骰賭和一個輪盤賭，貓王與林戈玩兒檯球。埃爾維斯最後拿出了幾把吉他，要進行即興演奏。4個小時後，聚會結束。甲殼蟲回到他們的公寓，再也沒有與埃爾維斯見過面。埃爾維斯最終背棄了甲殼蟲。1971年，他要求與小埃德加·胡佛見面，聲稱他想成爲一名FBI情報員，揭發娛樂圈的間諜活動。排在其黑名單首位的就是甲殼蟲——他們"利用骯髒、蓬亂的外表和音樂暗示，爲我們與青年之間的障礙提供了基礎"。FBI的頭兒拒絕了埃爾維斯的幫助。

In The USSR

6.在蘇聯的日子

In 1966, after John made his infamous "more popular than Jesus" quip, angry Americans rampaged, bashing and burning piles of Beatles albums. And conspiracy theories abound, lambasting the boys from Liverpool for connections with the Illuminati.

1966年，約翰說了一句遭到人們厭惡的俏皮話"比耶穌還受歡迎"，美國人暴跳如雷，指責甲殼蟲，並一疊一疊地燒掉他們的唱片。陰謀論無處不在，斥責從利物浦來的男孩兒們竟然與先知們有聯繫。

However, nobody feared The Beatles more than the Soviet government. Recognizing their rebellious attitudes and Western ways as a threat, the USSR banned the sale of Beatles albums and punished anyone caught listening to this "capitalist pollution." This only created a black market for contraband albums. Like many illegal items, Beatles records were smuggled into Russia by sailors, actors, and the occasional Party official. The albums were then sold for a hefty price. Vinyl discs could cost Soviet citizens up to two weeks of their hard-earned paychecks. Some enterprising outlaws devised an ingenious solution: etch the music onto X-ray film with the help of a modified record player. These jerry-rigged disks were covered in images of fractured arms and cracked pelvises, causing fans to refer to the albums as "music on the bones" or "records on ribs."Other musicians received the X-ray treatment, but there was something special about The Beatles. According to Mikhail Safonov of the Institute of Russian History, "Beatlemania washed away the foundations of Soviet society. The Beatles brought us the idea of democracy." Inspired by the Fab Four's fashion sense, teens used army boots and hand-me-down coats to copy the Beatles' signature collarless look. Men grew their hair long, kids started their own rock bands, and anyone who challenged The Beatles was viewed with disdain—even government state fought back as hard as it could. Students caught listening to The Beatles could be expelled from college. One Russian school put the band on trial and broadcasted the little drama for all the USSR to hear. And anyone sporting a moptop could be nabbed by the police and given a quick haircut. But despite all these efforts, The Beatles remained. The USSR collapsed, and Paul McCartney played his first performance in Moscow in 2003.

儘管如此，沒有人比蘇聯政府更加害怕甲殼蟲。意識到他們的反叛態度和西式風格的威脅，蘇聯禁止銷售甲殼蟲專輯，並懲罰任何聽這些"資本主義毒物"的人。這就誕生了一個交易違禁專輯的黑市。與其他非法物品一樣，甲殼蟲的唱片通過水手、演員和某些黨政官員的行爲走私進入俄國，隨後以高價賣出。買一張黑膠碟要花掉蘇聯市民多達兩週的辛苦錢。有些野心勃勃的不法之徒想出了一個精明的辦法：用改良後的留聲機把音樂刻在X光膠片上。這些應急用的唱片藏在畫有斷裂的手臂和盆骨的圖畫下，歌迷後來就用"骨頭上的音樂"或者"肋骨上的唱片"指代這些專輯。其他音樂家也有X光的待遇，但是甲殼蟲的有些特別。據俄羅斯歷史研究所的米哈伊爾·薩福諾夫所說，"甲殼蟲狂熱沖垮了蘇聯社會的基礎。甲殼蟲給我們帶來了民主思想。"受到這四人流行風格的啓發，青少年用軍靴和舊外衣模仿甲殼蟲沒有衣領的典型裝束。男人留了長髮，孩子們組建了自己的搖滾樂隊，任何挑戰甲殼蟲的人都會遭到唾棄——即使是政府官員。整個國家全力回擊。學生聽甲殼蟲可能被趕出學校。一所學校起訴了樂隊，並把這段小插曲廣播給所有蘇聯人。任何炫耀甲殼蟲髮型的人都可能被警察逮捕，立即強制理髮。可儘管如此，甲殼蟲仍然存在。蘇聯解體了，2003年保羅·麥卡特尼在莫斯科進行了首場演出。

翻譯:羅惠月 來源：前十網