Beatlemania, February 1964

[Lucky]

50 years ago this afternoon John, Paul, George and Ringo landed at JFK for their first US visit.



Beatlemania had gradually built up in the UK over the previous year or so, but was now hitting the US more suddenly. Later Paul said "There were millions of kids at the airport, which nobody had expected. We heard about it in mid-air. There were journalists on the plane, and the pilot had rang ahead and said, 'Tell the boys there's a big crowd waiting for them.' We thought, 'Wow! God, we have really made it.' "

 

[lilclerk]

And today's the day we all get annoyed at this sign at Pop Century for having the wrong year.



Or... is that just me?

 

[Lucky]

They do decades at Pop. It should say 1960s, not 1960.

 

[lilclerk]

They do decades at Pop. It should say 1960s, not 1960.

Not on those signs =(

 

[Lucky]

Wow. How long has the mistake been there?

 

[lilclerk]

Wow. How long has the mistake been there?

I took those in 2009, so... forever.

 

[Lucky]

I stayed at Pop for 3 or 4 days in 2007 but didn't notice those signs much, if they were even there then.

 

[lilclerk]

They're down on the walkway by the lake. I love walking around there early in the morning, that's how I noticed them.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I have to admit that I wasn't much of a fan when they first arrived on the scene. I was 16 and way to mature to be sucked in by a group of long haired freaks. (Conservative family, in case you're wondering). Over the years I grew to appreciate them more and more. Currently my 6 disc CD player in my car has all but one occupied by the Beatles. One of those five is a compilation disc that I did of my favorite songs (or at least all I could fit on one disc).

My obsession has lead to my Grandson also being a Beatles fan. I bought him his own Abbey Road CD for his 10th birthday. The first thing he says now as he gets into my car is "can we listen to the Beatles?" At 12 he knows all the songs and sings along quite exuberantly. My sister, who btw is still upset about Linda, old one leg and the current Mrs. Paul for forcing him to marry them, as she puts it, just for his money. She is sure that any day now he will come to his senses and give her a call. Anyway, when she was visiting here this past Christmas, she said to me... "You must be in heaven having a Grandson with the same love of the Beatles as you!" What could I say, I am!

He has a number of Beatles T-shirts and his favorite song is "In My Life". Good choice!

 

[lilclerk]

I have to admit that I wasn't much of a fan when they first arrived on the scene. I was 16 and way to mature to be sucked in by a group of long haired freaks. (Conservative family, in case your wondering). Over the years I grew to appreciate them more and more. Currently my 6 disc CD player in my car has all but one occupied by the Beatles. One of those five is a compilation disc that I did of my favorite songs (or at least all I could fit on one disc).

My obsession has lead to my Grandson also being a Beatles fan. I bought him his own Abbey Road CD for his 10th birthday. The first thing he says now as he gets into my car is "can we listen to the Beatles?" At 12 he knows all the songs and sings along quite exuberantly. My sister, who btw is still upset about Linda, old one leg and the current Mrs. Paul for forcing him to marry them, as she puts it, just for his money. She is sure that any day now he will come to his senses and give her a call. Anyway, when she was visiting here this past Christmas, she said to me... "You must be in heaven having a Grandson with the same love of the Beatles as you!" What could I say, I am!

He has a number of Beatles T-shirts and his favorite song is "In My Life". Good choice!

My mom would have been 13 when they played on Ed Sullivan, and she was a total Beatlemaniac. It was passed on to me, it must be genetic In 2009, when they started re-releasing all the remastered sets, our local library held weekly listening/discussion sessions. My mom, her cousin (they're very close, practically sisters) and I went every week. It was great female bonding, haha.

 

[Lucky]

I have to admit that I wasn't much of a fan when they first arrived on the scene. I was 16 and way to mature to be sucked in by a group of long haired freaks. (Conservative family, in case your wondering).

My best friend and next-door neighbor in grade school was from a very conservative Southern Baptist family. He said he loved the Beatles' music but hated the Beatles. That made no sense at all to me at the time. I remember borrowing his copy of "Hey Jude" (the single), which I hadn't heard until then.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I took my 2 teenage daughters to see Paul this past June. Great Show. It was my 5th Paul concert. But my girls had never seen him.

PS, in July (2013) I took them to see Robert Plant. In June of 2012, I took them to see Roger Waters perform The Wall. And next month, I am taking them to see Paul Simon and Sting.

 

[Sans Souci]

My mom was a big Beatles fan, too. She always played her Beatles LPs in the house when I was kid. LOL

Revolver is one of my very favorite albums of all time. It's brilliant.

 

[Lucky]

My mom would have been 13 when they played on Ed Sullivan, and she was a total Beatlemaniac. It was passed on to me, it must be genetic In 2009, when they started re-releasing all the remastered sets, our local library held weekly listening/discussion sessions. My mom, her cousin (they're very close, practically sisters) and I went every week. It was great female bonding, haha.

My first memory of the Beatles is from 1967. I was too little then to know or care much about popular music, but I remember my teenage aunts playing Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour over and over when we visited them. As soon as I had my own money to buy anything (1971), I spent it on baseball cards and Beatles' music.

 

[Lucky]

My mom was a big Beatles fan, too. She always played her Beatles LPs in the house when I was kid. LOL

Revolver is one of my very favorite albums of all time. It's brilliant.

I agree - Revolver and Rubber Soul are my two favorites, although I didn't buy them until after I had bought all of their later ones.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Always been more of a Monkees fan myself. More talented, more authentic.

 

[ratherbeinwdw]

Imo except for Queen, there is/was no group with as much talent as the Beatles. Every member of the groups could write and sing and play just about anything. George was, to me, the most talented of the Beatles and that's saying a lot.
Those groups were true musicians. I saw Ringo in concert last year. This 70+ year-old man was simply amazing.
The theatre was full of people of every age from young kids to seniors.
The are many groups who have great members in them, but in the two groups above every member was unbelievably talented. They were true artists.

 

[Lucky]

Always been more of a Monkees fan myself. More talented, more authentic.

Yeah but they're no Partridge Family.

 

[Lucky]

50 years ago tonight the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show for the first time. This is currently the 24th highest rated TV program ever in the US, higher than most Super Bowls. Their appearance on Ed Sullivan the next week is 35th. Those are the only Ed Sullivan programs in the top 100.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=CqrauzHPpwE

Lots of crowd shots here. Amazing how enthralled the girls were with John, Paul, @George and Ringo.

 

[lilclerk]

Lots of crowd shots here. Amazing how enthralled the girls were with John, Paul, @George and Ringo.