We had the best music–Episode 1
There are places I’ll remember
-The Beatles
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain
Two are gone and two remain.
Their mark was indelible
On Sunday, February 9th, 1964, seventy-three million Americans gathered around their black and whites to watch four shaggy-haired Englishmen fire the first salvo of the British invasion.
That evening was a cultural inflection point. I would argue it was the cornerstone of what would become the soundtrack of our generation.
It all began with these simple lyrics:
—Close your eyes and I’ll kiss you–tomorrow I’ll miss you…
They played five songs that night:
- All My Loving
- Till There Was You
- She Loves You
- I Saw Her Standing There
- I Want To Hold Your Hand
That was it, a generation was hooked.
Our parents scoffed, dismissing what was happening as nothing more than a passing fad. Dismissals aside, that performance was a devastating blow from which the age of swing and the great American songbook would never recover.
Baby Boomers, with the help of our friends from across the pond, had laid claim to American pop culture.
Here they come
John, Paul, George, and Ringo were the advance party—there would be many more.
The Beatles were followed across the Atlantic by The Who, The Zombies, The Animals, and of course, The Rolling Stones—and that was only the beginning.
The door had been kicked wide opened to Dusty Springfield, The Kinks, and The Moody Blues— they kept coming.
The British Invasion was not the genesis of rock in America, but it did solidify what the likes of Elvis, Buddy Holly, and Chuck Berry had laid the groundwork for—the Beatles were the catalyst.
Rock and roll had become mainstream, and it was here to stay.
The Ed Sullivan Show
Let me take you back to the night when it all began.
The Ed Sullivan Show aired at 8 pm Eastern Time from 1948 to 1971. On any given Sunday evening, over 40 million viewers tuned in. Appearing on Sullivan was a credential that almost every entertainer aspired to.
On the night of The Beatles’ first appearance on the show 73 million Americans tuned in, which translates to 84% of the country’s TV audience. It was a happening.
Here is a clip from that show.
Only 5 Years
The band was present in the American music scene for just over 5 years. During that time they released an impressive 11 albums, all successful.
Prolific as they were, petty jealousies fueled a power struggle between the members, which led to their eventual downfall.
Although The Beatles officially broke up in 1970, they recorded their last album (Let It Be) in 1969, and their last public performance was the infamous “Rooftop Concert” in January of that year.
As brief as their time together was, they remain the most successful musical act of all time. They sold over 600 million records.
The commercial accomplishments of the Fab Four were impressive and undeniable. Their cultural influences were just as profound.
Thanks to their iconic, recognizable, and diverse music, there was something for everyone. Their appeal was near universal, offering a social and generational common ground.
When a Beatles song comes on the radio, everyone knows the words—even now nearly sixty years later.
Take a sad song and make it better
In early 2008, my 19-year-old son, a huge Beatles fan, was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer. As a result, he had to undergo a grueling and intensive treatment plan. He spent a lot of time in the hospital.
During those long hours, we would often listen to music and watch Beatles videos to pass the time, and distract from our troubles. My son, Scott, came to know the Beatles as well as anyone.
One day, my wife and Scott were together in the hospital, and he fell asleep. My wife took the opportunity to write a letter— she was somehow able to get an address for Yoko Ono.
Dear Yoko,
My son is a 19-year-old cancer patient at Montefiore Hospital in The Bronx. I want to thank you for the videos you did with your husband John. Scott and I have spent hours watching and enjoying them. The Beatles and their music have been a great comfort to us, during these difficult times. Should you ever speak to Paul or Ringo, please pass along our gratitude.
Regards,
Chris
We received a reply one year later.
Dear Chris,
I hope your son is well and recovering. Thank you so much for your kind letter. I am sorry it took me so long to reply. I get a lot of mail and like to answer it all personally. Please let Scott know I am thinking of him.
Love,
Yoko
The love you take is equal to the love you make.
-The Beatles
My son had the accompanying photo on his nightstand until the night he passed.
(look closely you can see Yoko’s inscription)
The memento still enjoys a prominent place in our home.
Final thought
I will leave you with one more video clip. Mick Jagger inducted the Fab Four into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. In a way only Jagger could pull off. He explains what the Beatles meant to him as a rocker and the generation that embraced them—-Enjoy
This is the first in a series of posts about how music has affected my baby boomer life.
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