So...Who Wants a Revolution?
Posted on 02/09/2014 7:47:02 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Musical moments that capture the attention of a national audience - and beyond - never seem to be in short supply.
Last week, Bruno Mars set a ratings record with 115 million people watching his Super Bowl performance. A few months ago, the talk was about Beyonce’s surprise album. And there’s still discussion of That Miley Moment at the MTV Video Music Awards.
But moments that spark a musical revolution? A dramatic altering of the pop culture landscape? A true moment for historians to analyze? Rare indeed, which is what makes the 50th anniversary of what is considered the start of Beatlemania so remarkable - and so unlikely to happen again.
“The media has gotten so fragmented now ... there’s 50 things in a marketing plan for an artist today,” said Revolt TV President (and former MTV executive) Andy Schuon. “The ability to fan that fire and to give it the kind of intensity that ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ could get doesn’t exist today.”
Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ performance on “Ed Sullivan,” their first appearance in America. Nielsen says 45 percent of all TV sets in use at the time were tuned into the broadcast, with fans and the uninitiated alike gathered shoulder to shoulder in their living rooms. The Beatles landed on a trigger point when they hit America. It was a pop culture sonic boom spurred by talent, timing and luck that’s still rattling the windows.
“This was a seismic shift in American culture and it gave the teenagers not only a voice but a way of being, a way of thinking that had never occurred before,” Beatles biographer Bob Spitz said.
(Excerpt) Read more at kens5.com ...
RE: Who is Annie Lennox????
Ever heard of the hit from the Eurythmics — SWEET DREAMS ( Are Made of this )?
I graduated in ‘66......
What made The Beatles so special was that had an attitude and cockiness about them. They weren't humble and didn't "Yes sir" the press like Elvis did. In Elvis' case, he worked for Tom Parker and did his bidding. Well The Beatles didn't work for their manager, Brian Epstein. Rather Epstein worked for them. By that time, The Beatles were already writing most of their own songs and they were going to write their own ticket.
So when The Beatles came to New York in February 1964, the media of the day was sent to the airport to "cut them down to size" in a press conference, they were in for a rude awakening.
See, The Beatles were not some recording company creation of "pretty boys". This was a hardened, tight rock and roll band that had spent the past few years cutting their teeth in German strip clubs and English pubs and dives - as many as 300 shows per year!
So they had been around the block a few times when they landed at JFK (then still Idlewild) and confronted the bewildered media (who were trying to comprehend the 5,000 screaming fans that played hooky from school and swarmed the airport to greet them).
That first press conference (you can find it on YouTube) is hysterical to watch. The media had no idea how to deal with these wise-cracking long-haired lads from England. Their silly questions were immediately answered by snappy one-liners. For example "How do you find America?" was answered by "We hung a left at Greenland".
America's youth instantly fell in love with them and the fuddy-duddy parents were left scratching their heads as The Beatles went ahead and changed the culture literally overnight.
For better or worse, things would never be the same again.
Yes, love them or hate them, the Beatles are important in popular music history because their music had a significant impact on how popular music styles changed and developed – an impact that can still be felt 50 years later.
It also helped that the Beatles, had the perfect foil in The Rolling Stones, who made the Beatles look like saints, in comparison. Although of course the truth behind the scenes was far from it.
I asked my sister today who was the better song writer. Paul or John. She said John. I laughed at her because despite being a prick (royal prick now), Paul had more talent in his pinky then all of John. John was just the cool one and Ringo was the only one of them that could act decently. Just watch Caveman with Stan Matuszak and Barbara Bach, Shelly Long, Dennis Quaid.
Some brilliant and talented musicians broke on the scene amidst a generation of entertainers of every kind.
The sixties ushered in an age of musicians I think never existed before.
What I mean is ... at any time then (even today) you can tune into about 50 or 60 pop, rock, whatever entertainers that have been here for a while or will be here for a while.
I'm no musical historian, but what I remember of 50's AM radio is about 10 or so country singers/groups, 5 or six black groups/singers and a couple of crooners.
The Beatles were part of a time in musical history that just happened to have the schtick that schtuck and made good on it.
They also came to us as likeable arrogant boys and left more mature political/social entities that still speak to hearts.
I'm Sure.....
100%
“What kind of country is this where John Lennon gets six bullets in the chest, and Yoko is standing right next to him and not a single f’ing bullet? Explain THAT to me.” - Dennis Leary (No Cure for Cancer)
I won’t forget the Rutles if you don’t forget the Masked Marauders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aXvQ6cg9Vs
one of the biggest mysteries of the 20th century... he would of been just as famous, and prolly been acquitted too!
I loved the Beach Boys and it seemed there was a competition with my friends re: Beach Boys vs. Beatles. In hindsight I still like Beach Boys...
My theory is Yoko was in on it.
Perhaps John had an epiphany, and as some suggest, actually liked Reagan, and was about to denounce most of the stuff he said in the past.
Of course Yoko would realize if that were the case, it would be better to bump off John and keep his legacy as it was.
I have no proof, but his death seemed a bit “Convenient” for her.
I was 12 years old and lived in a very small southern town population 300 or so. It was all everyone talked about the next day in school. And if there was anyone didn’t watch it, they didn’t admit it.
Rubber Soul is a great album.
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