Beatlemania Firsthand

Life is a series of moments, a stream of seemingly chance encounters—and the results of these random events can---and do change history.

It’s possible that music history was changed forever on Halloween of 1963.

That’s the day that Ed Sullivan---by the sheer coincidence of being at London’s Heathrow Airport the same day the Beatles returned from a successful tour of Sweden---witnessed Beatlemania firsthand.

The pandemonium he experienced in trying to make his flight back to New York would pave the way for his desire to have them appear on his hugely popular TV show. Heathrow was mobbed by hordes of screaming teenagers. It was nothing like he had ever seen before—and really no one has seen since (at least not to that degree).

Some people will say that the Beatles would have “made it” regardless of Sullivan’s booking them on his show. Perhaps, but consider the following:

1) Beatles manager Brian Epstein had repeated tried and failed to convince Capitol Records to release their singles in the United States. The American arm of EMI, it was believed that the “Mersey Beat” sound would simply not translate and appeal to American audiences.

2) Capitol declined to release “Please Please Me”, “From Me To You” and “She Loves You”—allowing them to be released on minor labels Vee-Jay and Swan, where they initially languished on the charts without pop promotion.


3) In an effort to crack the American market, John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote and recorded a song specifically to appeal to American teenagers. “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” was completed just two weeks before their chance encounter with Ed Sullivan.

Once back in the States, Sullivan was so bowled over by what he saw that he started the process of getting the Beatles on his program. Brian Epstein flew to New York—and the deal he struck indicates Sullivan’s level of desire. He negotiated not one, but THREE appearances on the show as HEADLINER, even though they were virtually unknown to U.S. audiences. Armed with this deal, he finally convinced Capitol Records to release “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”, backed by a $40,000 promotion budget.

Check out this rare footage of early Beatlemania:




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLvTq6FdOj4&feature=related

Pretty incredible, no?

Epstein’s coup with Capitol Records—using Ed Sullivan as leverage—set the stage for the storied arrival of the Beatles in New York just four months later, on February 7, 1964.

By the time they landed at another airport taken over by teenagers, The Beatles already had the #1 song in the country—and the initial Sullivan show appearance (which broke Nielson ratings records for viewership) was followed by the other two contracted appearances---and an additional 5 more in the next year.

Sullivan’s knack for great timing was confirmed---and his chance encounter with the Fab Four 47 years ago yesterday---- turned out to be hugely beneficial for both of them.


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