Stating The Obvious

[WishICouldPlay]

I know that a lot of guys weren't even born when this happened.
but some were.
the song that changed history and enabled everything "rock and roll".

when Paul stepped up to the mic and sang ... "close your eyes and i'll kiss you" ...

everything changed. ****in' genius. never been topped and never will be.

 

[CoreyT]

I was seven when they played the Ed Sullivan show back in '64.

 

[jfine]

The Beatles were killer, no doubt--definitely the soundtrack to my teenage years, and they changed the music business forever. I was thirteen in early 1964 when they appeared on the Sullivan show, and I'd been playing guitar for about a year and a half. That being said, "enabled all things 'rock and roll'"? Seems like I remember a few rock and roll artists before the Beatles--some unknowns like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis...ask Sir Paul about those guys sometime!

 

[WishICouldPlay]

The Beatles were killer, no doubt--definitely the soundtrack to my teenage years, and they changed the music business forever. I was thirteen in early 1964 when they appeared on the Sullivan show, and I'd been playing guitar for about a year and a half. That being said, "enabled all things 'rock and roll'"? Seems like I remember a few rock and roll artists before the Beatles--some unknowns like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis...ask Sir Paul about those guys sometime!

yes, I remember all those artists, and they were really popular, and contributed much to the music scene, but not to the extent that TV and the news and whatever portrayed them.
Even Elvis, believe it or not, was relatively unknown in the general population.

There are only two songs which setup modern rock in' roll and the entire culture shift that allowed it to happen after that.

The Beatles on Sullivan ... the first song they played was "All My Lovin';
and then, about six months later the Stones on Sullivan ... "Satisfaction";
BTW, the Stones were actually Brian Jones' band ... he got them all together ... there is actually some controversy over who wrote and played the lead on Satisfaction.

Think about it man. these songs & appearances are almost 50 years old and we still talk about them like they were yesterday. that's older than 90% of u guys on here.

I'm not going to confess to how old I really am, believe what u want, but I lived it and I know that "BeatleMania" and the "British Invasion" changed everything.
BeatleMania was a palatable entity, if u were sufficiently aware, u could actually reach out and grasp a little bit in your hand. I can't explain to anyone who wasn't there at the time or old enough to understand (at least a little bit).

Anyway, I know that I rag on and on about this ... I just don't want their contribution and genius to be forgotten.

BTW ... the first album I ever bought was "Electric Mud" ... figure it out, or not ... whatever.

 

[Boogie]

They played on the first Ed Sullivan show 11 days before my birth and always thought they may have coaxed me out. :wink:

 

[László]

Think about it man. these songs & appearances are almost 50 years old and we still talk about them like they were yesterday

The Beatles' first Sullivan show was February 9, 1963. Over 50 years ago.

It was a stunning once-in-a-lifetime event, culturally significant, magic. It will be a long time before something like it happens again.

"Satisfaction" was released over two years later, in 1965, not in 1963. It was the Stones' breakthrough. By then, the Beatles had released Rubber Soul, a brilliant record in every way.

Whereas the Beatles' first tour was a huge success in the US, the Stones' first tour was a dud. Only 300 people turned out at Detroit's Olympia Stadium, where the Beatles had packed the place.

The Who's first US tour included a high school dance at Southfield High School, a suburban Detroit-area high school, to give some perspective on where the Beatles were in the culture vs other rock bands of the era.

 

[frankb56]

I thought Justin Beiber on SNL earlier this year was riveting....heehee.

 

[garrett]

yes, I remember all those artists, and they were really popular, and contributed much to the music scene, but not to the extent that TV and the news and whatever portrayed them.
Even Elvis, believe it or not, was relatively unknown in the general population.

There are only two songs which setup modern rock in' roll and the entire culture shift that allowed it to happen after that.

The Beatles on Sullivan ... the first song they played was "All My Lovin';
and then, about six months later the Stones on Sullivan ... "Satisfaction";
BTW, the Stones were actually Brian Jones' band ... he got them all together ... there is actually some controversy over who wrote and played the lead on Satisfaction.

Think about it man. these songs & appearances are almost 50 years old and we still talk about them like they were yesterday. that's older than 90% of u guys on here.

I'm not going to confess to how old I really am, believe what u want, but I lived it and I know that "BeatleMania" and the "British Invasion" changed everything.
BeatleMania was a palatable entity, if u were sufficiently aware, u could actually reach out and grasp a little bit in your hand. I can't explain to anyone who wasn't there at the time or old enough to understand (at least a little bit).

Anyway, I know that I rag on and on about this ... I just don't want their contribution and genius to be forgotten.

BTW ... the first album I ever bought was "Electric Mud" ... figure it out, or not ... whatever.

According to Keef's autobiography, he recorded the guitar melody to "Satisfaction" as a scratch track to be replaced with horns later. Next thing he knew, he heard it on the radio as-is. :laugh: It was supposed to be more like the version Otis Redding recorded later.

I don't think I'll ever "get" The Beatles. My parents were teens when they hit the scene and they didn't get into it either. I know plenty of people my age and quite a bit younger who worship them, though. I usually keep my opinions on the topic to myself in order to avoid the wrath of the faithful. :vroam:

 

[sergiodeblanc]

"No Elvis, Beatles, or the Rolling Stones"

 

[László]

I don't think I'll ever "get" The Beatles. My parents were teens when they hit the scene and they didn't get into it either. I know plenty of people my age and quite a bit younger who worship them, though. I usually keep my opinions on the topic to myself in order to avoid the wrath of the faithful

Lots of kids back then weren't Beatles fans, especially the ones nearer to college age when they came out.

My son is a huge Beatles fan, and actually got to meet McCartney last year at an event. The producer Flood, for whom he assisted on a record a couple of years ago, has an "I hate the Beatles" T-shirt. My son could hardly believe that this great producer (U2, Smashing Pumpkins, Depeche Mode, many more) wasn't into them.

Well, different strokes for different folks.

So it's all good.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

"I hate the Beatles" T-shirt.

I would totally rock one of those if I didn't know it would be an open invitation for fanatics to tell me how "wrong" I was.

 

[Em7]

I was alive when the Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan, and I am not a Beatles fan.

 

[László]

I would totally rock one of those if I didn't know it would be an open invitation for fanatics to tell me how "wrong" I was.

I'll take this opportunity to tell you how wrong you are, despite your lack of a T-shirt.

 

[John Beef]

"I hate the Beatles" T-shirt.

Supposedly Johnny Rotten got the gig as the singer for the Sex Pistols because he had a "I hate Pink Floyd" T-shirt and it was unheard of in England to hate Pink Floyd in the mid 1970s.

 

[László]

When the Beatles first came out, there were "Stamp Out The Beatles" T-shirts. The Ts were especially popular with the guys we called "greasers," who were into The Ventures, Roy Orbison, Elvis, Beach Boys, etc. The anti-Beatle thing didn't last very long, as the music became more and more sophisticated and popular.

The hippie movement made the greasers pretty much vanish by the time I left high school. And my high school was in Downtown Detroit, had 4500 students, and a solid cross-section of the city, so if there weren't any greasers left by then, I doubt there were very many anywhere. Detroit was greaser heaven for a loooong time.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I went looking for an "I hate the Beatles" shirt and came up with nuthin'.... bummed.

 

[JustRob]

He had one.

 

[László]

He had one.

Everyone needs one.

 

[garrett]

Lots of kids back then weren't Beatles fans, especially the ones nearer to college age when they came out.

My son is a huge Beatles fan, and actually got to meet McCartney last year at an event. The producer Flood, for whom he assisted on a record a couple of years ago, has an "I hate the Beatles" T-shirt. My son could hardly believe that this great producer (U2, Smashing Pumpkins, Depeche Mode, many more) wasn't into them.

Well, different strokes for different folks.

So it's all good.

I'm sure there were plenty of people not into them, but the way memory revises history, people make it seem like it was a universal obsession.

I would totally rock one of those if I didn't know it would be an open invitation for fanatics to tell me how "wrong" I was.

Exactly! I wouldn't say I hate them, though; I do like some of their songs (mostly the Paul sung ones). I'd totally rock one that said "Paul was the best Beatle" or "Beatles suck (except Paul)". :tongue:

 

[rugerpc]

When the Beatles first came out, there were "Stamp Out The Beatles" T-shirts. The Ts were especially popular with the guys we called "greasers," who were into The Ventures, Roy Orbison, Elvis, Beach Boys, etc. The anti-Beatle thing didn't last very long, as the music became more and more sophisticated and popular.

The hippie movement made the greasers pretty much vanish by the time I left high school. And my high school was in Downtown Detroit, had 4500 students, and a solid cross-section of the city, so if there weren't any greasers left by then, I doubt there were very many anywhere. Detroit was greaser heaven for a loooong time.

And remember that John once made a remark about Jesus Christ that landed the Beatles in a lot of drama. People were smashing and burning their records. John apologized with an explanation, but that didn't fix it for everyone. John's remark and the supposedly hidden messages on Beatles albums and other rock albums have caused a lot of narro-minded, tight a** people to play records over and over backwards in church basements searching for the Devil. At least it kept them off my front porch and from ringing my door bell during dinner.

I grew up with the Beatles. There have been no groups since that shaped our music and culture as much.

But this discussion is a lot like one we had about PRS supposedly being just a compromise between Fender and Gibson. The people who think that miss both the subtle and obvious innovations Paul has made. I say it is the same for the Beatles. You may point to their influences, but they rose to become much, much greater than their beginnings and their own music heroes.

YMMV.