SONGS REIMAGINED AS FILM POSTERS (BEATLES EDITION)

Last month, I published an article featuring a selection of film posters illustrated by Mark Reynolds. Each film poster was influenced by a specific song and reimagined to showcase both forms of entertainment (click here to check that out). Today, I thought it would be a good idea to show you even more of Mark's work. This time, though, I'm sharing some of the film posters he designed inspired solely by Beatles songs, along with the historical origins of each song. Please enjoy.

During the making of the 1965 film, 'Help!', George Harrison became so captivated by the sound of a sitar - played on the set by an Indian musician - that he decided to incorporate the instrument into 'Norwegian Wood'. Released near the end of the same year, the song was based on an extramarital affair John Lennon had in London and marked the first time a sitar appeared on a commercial Western pop record.

When he was five years old, John Lennon's parents separated, and he began living with his Aunt Mimi and her husband, George Smith, in a nice semi-detached suburban house in Woolton, Liverpool. Nearby was a Salvation Army children's home called Strawberry Field. John was fascinated with the place, perceiving it as a 'secret garden' where he would often play with his friends. In fact, John was so fascinated that years later, he composed a song that expressed his feelings, 'Strawberry Fields Forever'. It was released in 1967.

Shortly after its release in 1967, rumors circulated that 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' was connected to the Beatles' use of LSD, especially since the song shares a similar abbreviation and Paul McCartney had recently admitted to taking the drug. But in truth, the song was inspired by John Lennon's then-three-year-old son, Julian, who had drawn a picture of a girl named Lucy floating in the sky with diamonds.

Following John Lennon's separation from his first wife, Cynthia, Paul McCartney composed a song to help their son Julian cope with his parents' breakup. The song was originally called 'Hey Jules' - Jules was and still is Julian's nickname - but before its release in 1968, the name was changed to 'Hey Jude' because Paul thought the latter name sounded better.

In 1968, the Beatles traveled to Rishikesh, India, to go on a retreat hosted by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. While there, Paul McCartney saw two monkeys casually mating in the middle of the road. He compared this simple, uninhibited act with the complicated hang-ups of normal human relationships, and in the same year, the incident spurred him on to write the song, 'Why Don't We Do It in the Road?'.

According to John Lennon, 'Don't Let Me Down' was an anguished love song he composed specifically for his future wife, Yoko Ono. Prior to its release in 1969, Paul McCartney interpreted the track as a genuine cry for help, explaining that John was essentially saying to Yoko, 'I'm really stepping out of line on this song. I'm really just letting my vulnerability be seen, so you must not let me down'. They married roughly one month later.

Ringo Starr was inspired to pen his second Beatles song during a sailing trip off the coast of Sardinia. At the time, he and his family were on a luxury yacht belonging to the comedian, Peter Sellers, and one afternoon, he ordered fish and chips for lunch. But instead of fish, he was served squid and chips. Since this was the first time he had eaten squid, which he said was 'OK' and 'tasted like chicken', the yacht's captain explained how octopuses travel along the seabed, collecting stones and shiny objects to build gardens in front of their caves. In the following year, 1969, Ringo finished writing 'Octopus's Garden'.

In closing, I'd like to thank Mark Reynolds for allowing me to share his work. To see more of his illustrations, please feel free to click here to visit his official website.