The Beatles - Live At The Washington Coliseum 02 11 1964 - 5 songs

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[JohnnyRingo]

1. It was 61 years ago today 2/9/64....

The Beatles made their American TV debut on the Ed Sullivan Shew broadcast from NYC.
They sang "She Loves You" and "I want To Hold Your Hand".
My sister went nuts along with an estimated 70 million others who watched the performance..

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2. So did "This Boy"!.

[JohnnyRingo]

6. I was 11.

In the days after that show my family went shopping at Hills.

There in the record section was an LP with the four of them on the cover backlit and caught in a midair jump. It was cheaper than most albums at around a buck so I talked my mom into buying this record by "The Beats".

I learned a lesson in comprehensive reading skills that evening. I only wish I still had it now.

[underpants]

3. The concurrence of events that lead to this is pure 60's

Last edited Sun Feb 9, 2025, 12:18 PM - Edit history (1)

A young girl (Long Island I think) whose father traveled with the family to Europe often knew about them due to their ever rising stardom in Europe. She brought several of their records and relentlessly called one of the big nighttime DJ’s in NYC. I think she either mailed or took the records to the radio station. He started playing their songs.

Ed Sullivan just happened to be waking through Heathrow and noticed a crowd of screaming young girls. Let’s face it pop culture especially Top 40 radio is determined by young females. If they like, the young boys will do or buy it. Ed looked into them and started the steps to get them on his show FIRST.

CBS had a news story segment on them set to air Nov. 22 1963 basically as prep for Sullivan. Obviously events if that day changed everything.

After a couple months Ed and CBS started exploring doing this again. From what I’ve heard and read over the years, CBS Execs went to Cronkite to see what he thought. His response was, “It’s time for the country to have some fun again”.

They landed at already renamed JFK airport 77 days after the assassination.

[JohnnyRingo]

4. Not exactly spontaneous, was it?

They were sneaking up from behind to form the initial assault of the British Invasion.

[underpants]

7. I didn't realize how much they played.

Morning Joe had a reporter on (I think he’s Barnicle’s son) who did an article on this story. In Hamburg at least, they played 7 days a weeks and hours each day. Sometimes 8 hours from what this reporter said.

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5. Nice back story.