OT: Feb. 9, 1964, the night that changed everything

[Elefantino]

Sixty years ago tonight, The Beatles changed America.

I was 6. My sister was in high school. We had one of the only color TVs among her group of friends, so everyone came to our house -- even though The Ed Sullivan Show was in black-and-white.

About a dozen girls were in our family room, and I still hear the screaming in my head. (My sister: "PAAAAAAUUUUUUULLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!")

I had been taking guitar lessons since the start of that year, but my mom -- in a nod toward The Lawrence Welk Show and its American wholesomeness -- immediately made me stop and take accordion lessons instead.

[BruceVelo]

Anna one, anna two...

[ERK55]

I was 9 and remember sitting watching with my parents.
They thought it was funny.

[Bob Ross]

Do you still play accordion?

I was too young to remember whether I saw The Beatles on their Ed Sullivan Show debut, but my parents got their Rubber Soul album the following year, and for the next ~5 years that (and some weird clone/tribute album of the earlier Beatles hits by a group called "The Liverpools") were the only records I listened to.

Literally, five years, from age 5 through 10, nothing but Beatles (...well, okay, for the last year of that stretch I added the soundtrack to Disney's The Jungle Book animated film.)

So suffice it to say they definitely changed me. But yeah, America too, for sure.

[witcombusa]

Pure social engineering. MI5 and CIA were steering things in a new direction. Anything so heavily promoted is always suspect. Just actors playing a role...
Would be interesting to know who was writing the music for them.

[Elefantino]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

Do you still play accordion?

No. I changed to trombone in 5th grade. I finally sold my old Crucianelli a few years ago for what I considered to be an obscene amount of money.

[DeBike]

I am looking at a poster of the Beatles exiting the plane upon their first arrival in NYC. They look like 4 extremely happy young lads, not overwhelmed and ready for the moment. I have the poster on top of the computer hutch. I also have a picture of them on stage at the Ed Sullivan show, hanging in my living room.

I worked with a woman in 1976 that had a picture of the Beatles performing in Baltimore, along with a photo, at the concert, of the friends she attended with. She always carried them with her.

[buddybikes]

Originally Posted by witcombusa

Pure social engineering. MI5 and CIA were steering things in a new direction. Anything so heavily promoted is always suspect. Just actors playing a role...
Would be interesting to know who was writing the music for them.

And the music was created by a super secret AI machine within the CIA.....

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by witcombusa

Pure social engineering. MI5 and CIA were steering things in a new direction. Anything so heavily promoted is always suspect. Just actors playing a role...
Would be interesting to know who was writing the music for them.

You so funny....

[OtayBW]

Originally Posted by Elefantino

No. I changed to trombone in 5th grade. I finally sold my old Crucianelli a few years ago for what I considered to be an obscene amount of money.

I started trombone in the 4th grade. LOVED that thing, but it was too big to schlep on the walk to school everyday, so I quit.
In hindsight, I wish I had played Cajun accordian or Irish button accordian.....

[tiretrax]

It wasn't until the Rolling Stones were on the Ed Sullivan Show that America got some truly great British rock.

[SlowPokePete]

Hard to believe.

SPP

[rallizes]

Originally Posted by witcombusa

Pure social engineering. MI5 and CIA were steering things in a new direction. Anything so heavily promoted is always suspect. Just actors playing a role...
Would be interesting to know who was writing the music for them.

Do go on

[exapkib]

Originally Posted by witcombusa

Pure social engineering. MI5 and CIA were steering things in a new direction. Anything so heavily promoted is always suspect. Just actors playing a role...
Would be interesting to know who was writing the music for them.

You don't think he's a new phenomenon, do you?

You mean an early clue to the new direction?

Where's the calendar?

No. It's all right. He's just a troublemaker.

The change isn't due for three weeks yet.

[guyintense]

I saw them in concert that year at the Convention Center, I was 10.