It was a momentous time in rock and roll history. The British invaded America… in the form of music, not trying to reclaim their former country like in the 1770s. At the forefront were four shaggy-haired men named George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr. They were The Beatles. We see them on one of their first American TV show appearances, playing “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” This was on Feb. 9, 1964.
The Beatles were among the first groups to bring fans to a frenzy. Yes, Elvis was an icon in the 1950s and had more than his share of fans, but I don’t think fans would flock to the airport to see him land like the Fab Four would in their heyday. Watch the women in this video… they are in LOVE with these guys. They want to hold all the Beatles’ hands, for sure. Um. Yeah. Just hold hands….
One thing that’s easy for people to miss with a song like this that seems relatively tame and trite: these guys are really good musicians. Unlike some other groups that are all flash and no substance, they all have great musical chops. Many consider Harrison to be one of the best guitarists ever and Starr, despite his relaxed vibe behind the drum kit, is a great drummer. His work on songs like “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End” is excellent.
This was the Beatles during what I guess could be called their boy band phase. They had quite the transformation in a short time, going from these earnest long-haired boys who played love songs to experimenting with Eastern Music and singing about being a walrus. Seeing this video makes me sad to know that Lennon only had just under 16 years left. That was when that era really came to pass.
Are you a Beatles fan? Do you remember being around when this video first aired? Let us know in the comments section! Also, please “Like” us on Facebook.