Were you around half a century ago? America was steeped in the throes of Beatlemania and the first wave of the British Invasion on this day in 1964. The Fab Four had just arrived in New York City February 7, 1964 and were preparing for their February 9th performance on the Ed Sullivan Show. There was no doubt at the time we were witnesses to the greatest moments in rock n' roll history that week. I remember thinking their sound was the most exciting music to hit the airwaves in my childhood memory. Sure, rock n' roll had already been popularized, but the original impact of Elvis and other early pioneers of the genre happened when I was only a toddler. Although I wasn't initially a fan of the Beatles' mop-top hair, I was an enthusiastic convert to their music right from the start.
Their timing was perfect. We had just gone through the Kennedy assassination and the loss of the chief symbol of youthful energy and idealism. The Fab Four filled a void in so many ways. Flash back to the music charts right before the Beatles' arrival and you get an idea of how stagnant rock n' roll had become. Bobby Vinton had spent weeks at number one with an easy listening standard that failed to speak to kids raised on Elvis, Buddy Holly or Bill Haley & His Comets. For every Four Seasons, Beach Boys or "Louie Louie" there was the Singing Nun or Pat Boone. The Beatles provided a rock n' roll infusion we hadn't seen since 1956.
No comments:
Post a Comment