it was 50 years ago today...

[gh]

…. Ed Sullivan had the Beatles on his show to play...

[jeremyp]

Re: it was 50 years ago today...

I think I've told this story before (but who remembers?), I was in Indonesia, and listened to the only pop music from Radio Malaysia, a jailable offense, and kept hearing these songs by The Beetles(?), and thinking they were lame attempts at copying American music. Then I got a Time Magazine, 6 months late, with the Fab Four on the cover. I ended up a year later listening to them in a Chinese Restaurant, after closing, with the owner and staff. The Beatles were still banned so it was like being in a speakeasy. Delicious.

[gh]

Re: it was 50 years ago today...

I would guess that for those of an age you remember where you were (and what time of night it was on what channel) as vividly as you remember the JFK moment.

[Marlow]

Re: it was 50 years ago today...

Special Grammy show on them tonight.

I would guess that for those of an age you remember where you were (and what time of night it was on what channel) as vividly as you remember the JFK moment.

Glued to my TV set as a newly minted teenager. They broke up when I was turning 20. How apropos. Lennon killed on my 30th birthday - again, somehow 'appropriate' (not the right word, but you get the gist).

[ed gee]

Re: it was 50 years ago today...

And the next day, the US house passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

[Friar]

Re: it was 50 years ago today...

While everyone remembers the Sullivan date it's a bit more difficult to recall the first time you heard them period. My best guess would be in a school yard in Nov'63 (horrible month) huddled around group who had a transistor radio playing for them. Girls were excited: they were not excited about the Beach Boys.

I believe Sullivan's fav' band the Dave Clark Five may have preceded the Beatles by 4-5 months being the first British Invasion Band on National TV (US).

[gh]

Re: it was 50 years ago today...

DC 5 was 2 weeks after the Beatles.

That was memorable too, as they sang Glad All Over in front of a huge Union Jack.

[cullman]

Re: it was 50 years ago today...

...Artful Dodger and future Monkee, Davy Jones also appeared on the same show.

[lonewolf]

Re: it was 50 years ago today...

I was a habitual Ed Sullivan viewer but I do not remember if I saw the Beatle US debut live or saw it replayed so many times I think I did.
I do remember the two knob, 13" B/W Philco TV set with rabbit ears we watched it on...bought at a pawn shop for $20. As a testament to the quality of US electronics, my oldest daughter painted that TV orange and black and too it to college a few years later. She passed it on to my son who followed her to OKST by three years. It is still in his attic. We haul it out from time to time and it still works, albeit a bit snowy by modern standards.
I also remember that as a crew-cut Army reservist, I was a bit put off by their shaggy hair.

[Dixon]

Re: it was 50 years ago today...

The next day at school all the girls...."isn't Paul cute?"

I have a cassette tape "Birth of the Beatles" it's some performances they did in British pubs a few years before they became the actual Beatles.

How about these covers?

Ray Charles...What'd I Say
Wilbert Harrison...Kansas City
Gene Vincent...Be-Bop-Alula
A whole bunch of Chuck Berry

Pretty obvious what their influenses were.

When they finally did arrive in the USA, John Lennon was asked just moments after stepping off the plane.

reporter...so now that you;re here in America what is the first thing you want to do?
John (didn't hesitate)...meet Muddy Waters.

I will say this about The Beatles (own all their stuff) I didn't realize just how great they were at the time. Listening to them now, it really sinks in.

[BillVol]

Re: it was 50 years ago today...

The special on CBS tonight is great, and I've never really been a huge fan of the Beatles. Stevie Wonder was the best -- not surprising. Katy Perry, John Legend and Brad Paisley should have stayed home. But everybody else was great.

[Walt Murphy]

Re: it was 50 years ago today...

The special on CBS tonight is great, and I've never really been a huge fan of the Beatles. Stevie Wonder was the best -- not surprising. Katy Perry, John Legend and Brad Paisley should have stayed home. But everybody else was great.

And it's still going on--Ringo and Paull doing separate sets and picking the right songs to get the crowd jumpin'

Some links

First U.S. Exposure(Something I didn't know or fogot):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJxvm5zbeBc

29-minute video--all 3 Ed Sullivan appearances:

http://www.beatlesbible.com/1964/02/09/the-beatles-first-ed-sullivan-show/

http://www.iamthebeatles.com/article1036.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/08/nyregion/the-beatles-debut-on-ed-sullivan.html?_r=0

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/30/showbiz/beatles-ed-sullivan-beatlemania-5-things/

[26mi235]

Re: it was 50 years ago today...

I was not a big fan at the beginning, but my (now) sister-in-law who was 20 months older said a while back that it took about 15 seconds the first time she heard the Beatles to be absolutely won over; I do not think it was based on hype or anything she had heard, she just heard the song at that she just went head-over-heals for them. [she was probably a freshman and I was in 8th grade].

[kuha]

Re: it was 50 years ago today...

The special on CBS tonight is great, and I've never really been a huge fan of the Beatles.

I saw most of it, and agree completely. I saw (on TV) the first Sullivan appearance and didn't fully get it--and over the years have been a very marginal Beatles fan, at best. However, in hindsight, their fame is absolutely and completely deserved. Whatever hype there may have been has blown away, we are left simply with a band of unparalleled talent and influence.

[Marlow]

Re: it was 50 years ago today...

we are left simply with a band of unparalleled talent and influence.

and yet, watching it last night, the scenes of girls screaming and fainting, what was that? Is there some psycho-sexual subliminal rhythm or message in the music??!! :?: :?: :?: