It was 40 years ago today...

February 7, 1964 was the day the Beatles landed in America for the first time and Beatlemania began. If your a Beatle fan, and especially if you live in New York City this is pretty cool because it all happened here. WCBS-FM here in the apple is doing a 'Fab Four Fortieth Weekend' which sounds kinda goofy, but it isnt. Wondering if any of you out there in other cities are hearing about any Beatles goings on in your town. There are a few events here in NYC comemorating this anniversary including a party on Monday night in observance of the Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964. The tremendous impact that The Beatles have had on the world is amazing. They still make the cover of Rolling Sone this far on, and their work can be examined on so many different levels. It reall is mind blowing. I drank a little bit-o-wine last night and gave 'Revolver' a good listen on the headphones which I had really never done before. I heard things that I never heard before...and it wasn't because of the vino! When I was listening to 'I'm Only Sleeping' I heard a yawn from John that was very subtle in the mix. I never heard that before!!!! It was pretty cool.

There a nice little presentation on the first visit at http://www.thebeatles.com . Check it out.

[ Edited by: donhonyc on 2004-02-07 22:17 ]

A local radio station here in San Diego is doing an all Beatles weekend. The Rolling Stone (Feb. 19) article is really cool (some great pics too, including Sullivan in a Beatles wig). The best Beatles related article I read this month (for me at least)is in a British publication I pick up when I find it http://www.bassguitarmagazine.com/frames.htm that covers just about everything you would ever want to know about McCartney's '62 Hofner violin bass.

[ Edited by: Shipwreckjoey on 2004-02-08 00:55 ]

If you're a fab four fanatic like me you definitely need to pick up "The First U.S. Visit" on DVD. A very interesting, behind the scenes look at that visit, as well as some really funny moments. I found it fascinating how overwelmed they were by all the attention they were getting and things that they privately said to each other about American culture that they had never been exposed to before.

:drink:

I've analyzed this data:

Landing in America carries a 50% 40-year mortality rate.

They should not have come here until 1980 in order to have had a normal life expectancy.

Amazingly, the same statistics apply to The Who.

The numbers are slightly better for Led Zepplin, but worse for The Jimi Hendrix Experience, so it still averages out to about 50%.

*I allowed the Hendrix data based on the fact that his band's primary country of ascendancy was Great Britain.

One can only hope that these numbers play out correctly in the case of the Spice Girls, The Corrs, and The Wiggles.