just wondering what everyone thought each one of the beatles role was within the band beside the obvious like guitarist, bas player, drummer ?
I think they changed over time. IMO:
1) John was the alpha male from 1957 to 1967, then sort of crisped out, with Paul trying to take over then (with less than total acceptance by the other two who didn't really want another alpha male at that point of their lives). But up until then, I think it was John's force of personality and desire that got the Beatles to the toppermost of the poppermost.
2) George started out as the little kid brother hanging around John's and Paul's knees. His superior guitar skills were barely enough to compensate for this and get him in the band. When he developed his harmonizing skills he cemented his importance in the group even more, but was always treated like a little kid by Paul, and to a lesser extent John. He resented this lots more towards the end. Was he the first one to leave the band?
3) Ringo seemed to always have an inferiority complex - couldn't write, couldn't sing much, and the others didn't have any problem leaving it at that. I think that ultimately his drumming was as much, if not more, a part of the Beatle sound early on as anything in the band, but I think the others were not overly generous with making Ringo feel like his contributions were very valuable. I got the feeling watching Ringo and Paul interact during the Larry King interview that he still has some bitterness about all that.
4) I think Paul in the early days helped to act as a filter for John, defusing a lot of potentially incendiary situations. He clearly acknowledged John's role as leader in the early days (1962 hospital radio interview). Later, as John abdicated because of drugs, his own personality and life in general, Paul tried to take over as the leader with less than total success. I don't think I've read much at all about Paul directly confronting any of the others, he'd always seem to defuse, maybe walk away, then come back in at night and do what he wanted to anyway. I do think he was the engine that kept the Beatles as good as they were for the last 2 or 3 years.
My 2 cents (or pence, or Euros, etc.)!
