COMPARE & CONTRAST

Immediately after their arrival at JFK on Friday, February 7, 1964 - The Beatles were brought before the American media for their first U.S. press conference.







Take a moment to watch the video of this press conference as America gets its first introduction to The Beatles in their own words . .       CLICK THIS LINK: http://youtu.be/hgU6foVr-wY



Now, I invite you to take a look at interviews of a few established  American recording stars from the same year:




DICK CLARK INTERVIEWS BOBBY VINTON (1964)

TO WATCH THIS INTERVIEW CLICK THIS LINK:
http://youtu.be/bmwLlVp13Ck

(This is a little off topic) Bobby Vinton's follow-up to "There! I've Said It Again" was "My Heart Belongs To Only You," which entered the Billboard Top Ten around the time The Beatles arrived in the U.S.

TO LISTEN TO "MY HEART BELONGS TO ONLY YOU" click this link:

http://youtu.be/gJN0swj_fno



DICK CLARK INTERVIEWS SAM COOKE (1964)

TO WATCH THIS INTERVIEW CLICK THIS LINK:
http://youtu.be/5WfkO0fE31I

Again, a little off topic - I encourage you to listen to a 1964 recording by Sam Cooke. 

"When A Boy Falls In Love" didn't chart well for Sam Cooke (#52 Pop) and is rarely heard these days, but it would be a shame to miss it - it's a sweet, simple, melodious tune. 

TO LISTEN TO SAM COOKE'S "WHEN A BOY FALLS IN LOVE" click this link:

http://youtu.be/ANW4jnrBN8o 

Co-written by Cooke himself, "When A Boy Falls In Love" was originally released in 1963 by Mel Carter. 

 Carter's version actually charted better (#44 Pop, #30 R&B) and, I must admit; is my favorite version of the two.

TO LISTEN TO MEL CARTER'S "WHEN A BOY FALLS IN LOVE" click this link:

http://youtu.be/JmqNN_J6nPE



DICK CLARK INTERVIEWS THE BEACH BOYS (1964)

TO WATCH THIS INTERVIEW CLICK THIS LINK:
http://youtu.be/rWxj0UadXIY

In fairness to The Beach Boys I'll go off topic one more time. 

Around the time The Beatles arrived in the U.S. The Beach Boys were 
climbing the Billboard Top Ten with their latest release, "Fun, Fun, Fun."

TO VIEW THE BEACH BOYS' MARCH, 1964 'LIVE' PERFORMANCE OF, "FUN, FUN, FUN" click this link:

http://youtu.be/OIcuOJ2AieY

* * * * * * * * *

OKAY! 

Now let me get back on topic.

If you took the time to view The Beatles' press conference and the interviews of the other recording artists - you may have noticed a distinct difference in tone and demeanor between the American stars and these newcomers from 'across the pond.'



THE BEATLES



These boys . . these Beatles were brash, cocky, 'long-haired foreigners' who (seemingly) came out of nowhere.  They were a radical departure from what America was used to when it came to popular recording stars.


LET'S STEP BACK A MOMENT FOR A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE . .

Rock & Roll had weathered some major storms over the past 8 to 9 years, and thanks in large part to this man - it had managed to survive . .



DICK CLARK



Dick Clark's influence and impact upon Rock & Roll music is absolutely inestimable.
 
When he assumed the helm of American Bandstand in 1956, Rock & Roll music was in its infancy; and when the show was syndicated nationally in '57, two things quickly became clear:

1.  A performance on the daily 'teen dance'
  show could profoundly affect the sales
of a record the following day.

2.  Mr. Dick Clark wielded an enormous
amount of power in the industry.

Rock & Roll was not without its enemies and detractors. 

Parents feared that this new music was leading young people to delinquency and rebellion. 

There were people who were angry that black, or 'race music' was being played on white radio stations.

Some religious leaders claimed that Rock & Roll was the 'Devil's music,' and the Payola scandal of 1959 drew even greater negative attention.


DICK CLARK TESTIFIES BEFORE A HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE INVESTIGATING 'PAYOLA' (1960)

30 year old Clark squeaked through the Payola scandal nearly unscathed due to the fact that he was smart, agreeable and (according to the New York Times) "smooth, slim and youthful on the witness stand."

"Obviously you're a fine young man," is how committee chairman, Representative Oren Harris (D-Arkansas), concluded the hearings on May 2, 1960. 

********************************************

By 1960, Rock & Roll had changed greatly. 

With the death of Buddy Holly the year before, Elvis Presley's induction into the military, Jerry Lee Lewis' decline due to his marriage scandal, and Little Richard's turn from Rock & Roll to ministry; the music became less raucous, and began to evolve into more of a 'teenage pop' sound, which was far less threatening to adults. 

Clark was keenly aware of perceptions, and he saw to it that his Bandstand audience always consisted of well dressed young people, and this; along with Clark's own clean-cut, youthful, All American good looks and low key charm, helped make 'young people's music' far more palatable to those who had once feared it.

To many of the young recording artists of the day Clark was a mentor and teacher; encouraging them to behave and conduct themselves in a wholesome, respectable manner (a manner quite unlike that of The Beatles in their first U.S. press conference).

Although it was obvious that he genuinely liked young people - Clark himself would later admit that he pursued a career in the music business because of the money; and when it came to where to put your money - there was no one in the business with a better track record at picking (or creating) the 'next big thing' than Dick Clark.



THE BEATLES NEVER PERFORMED ON AMERICAN BANDSTAND



So then . .

why had he missed the boat with The Beatles? 

Well,

it wasn't that

 he hadn't had a chance . . .

LBJ, GITMO, ISLAM & BEATLE NUT(S)!

Friday, February 7, 1964; President Johnson was forced to share the front page with the newly arrived Brits.

Interestingly enough; Johnson was dealing with a Guantanamo Bay issue on the day The Beatles arrived at JFK. 

The day before, Fidel Castro had cut off the fresh water supply to the U.S. military base in protest of the detainment and fining of several Cuban fishermen who were fishing in Florida waters without a license.

Johnson's response: strict conservation of the several million gallons of water reserves on base, and the importing of water by barge until a desalination plant was built which, today, provides over 3 million gallons of water and 800,000 kilowatt hours of electricity for the base daily. 

PROBLEM SOLVED . . .

Baskin-Robbins attempts to capitalize on the growing phenomena of 'Beatlemania' in the U.S. by introducing 'Beatle Nut' ice cream on Friday, February 7, 1964. It's described as, 'pistachio ice cream with a chocolate ribbon and walnuts.'

  Also on this day, Cassius Clay (who would cross paths with The Beatles the following week when they traveled to Miami) 

joins the "Black Muslims" (Nation of Islam), and would be re-named Muhammad Ali by NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, one month later.

                                                        

BUT,

OF ALL THESE EVENTS - THIS IS THE ONE WE'LL REMEMBER FROM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1964

                               

   The Beatles emerge from the plane to the roar of thousands of screaming American fans . .

 

  

The band views the crowd of young people lining the rooftop of the International Arrivals Building.

All fear assuaged - America appears to love The Beatles, and (Baskin-Robbins aside) appears to be filled with 'Beatle Nuts' . .

                       

ARRIVAL . .



"It was so exciting. On the plane, flying into the airport, I felt as though there was a big octopus with tentacles that were grabbing the plane and dragging us down into New York. America was the best. It was a dream, coming from Liverpool."

                         Ringo Starr

JFK AIRPORT



"There were millions of kids at the airport, which nobody had expected. We heard about it in mid-air. There were journalists on the plane, and the pilot had rang ahead and said, 'Tell the boys there's a big crowd waiting for them.' We thought, 'Wow! God, we have really made it.'"

                       Paul McCartney

What McCartney had been told was true.  Thousands of young fans were standing by - waiting for their plane to touch down.

Neil Aspinall, friend and assistant to The Beatles who traveled with them on this trip, provides an explanation for the amazing turn out:

"It has since been reported that their American record company had promised that every person who turned up at the airport would be given a dollar bill and a t-shirt. What really happened was that the receptionists at Capitol Records would answer the phone, 'Capitol Records - The Beatles are coming.' There was a lot of mention on the radio, too: 'The Beatles are coming!' It was the people handling the Beatles merchandise at the time who were offering the free t-shirt. I had no idea about that at the time, and it was nothing to do with the record company."

                      NEIL ASPINALL

The Beatles are coming . .

They're almost here . .

It won't be long now . .

The Beatles are on American soil . .

And things will never be the same . . .

America Awaits . .

As Pan American flight 101

made its way across

the Atlantic

ferrying The Beatles to America . . .



the city of their destination was just beginning to come to life .

Friday, February 7, 1964

SUNRISE OVER NYC 1964

The airport formerly known as Idlewild, which had been renamed John Fitzgerald Kennedy (today often referred to as JFK), on December 24, 1963 in honor of the slain president, was also coming to life.

The Pan American Terminal was open for business, and a few patrons were enjoying coffee and breakfast at the restaurant located inside.

All across New York, teenagers were preparing for school and tuning their transistor radios into their favorite top 40 station.

A FEW SONGS THAT WERE PLAYING:



DIANE RENAY



Renowned record producer, Bob Crewe, co-wrote and produced Diane Renay's, "Navy Blue," which was aggressively climbing the charts and would soon peak at #6.

Diane Renay would never place another song in the top ten.

TO LISTEN TO "NAVY BLUE" click this link:

http://youtu.be/ijtlzZb3bZ4

JOHNNY TILLOTSON

Johnny Tillotson was enjoying his fourth top ten hit with, "Talk Back Trembling Lips."  Released in September of '63, this record had peaked at #7 and was now making its way down the charts.

This would be his last top ten hit.

TO LISTEN TO "TALK BACK TREMBLING LIPS" click on this link:

http://youtu.be/YA288uY6KVo







CHUBBY CHECKER



With an amazing eight top ten records (two of which were #1) and six that had reached the top 20; Chubby Checker had ruled the charts since 1960. 

His latest recording, "Hooka Tooka," released in November of '63, would peak at #17 the following day (February 8, 1964). 

This would be his seventh and last record to make the top 20.

TO LISTEN TO "HOOKA TOOKA" click this link:

http://youtu.be/WRQJBTrjQAo

CONNIE FRANCIS


Connie Francis had been the reigning queen of the Billboard Charts since she first muscled her way onto them in 1958 with, "Who's Sorry Now?"

Within days of Kennedy's assassination a song called,

"In The Summer Of His Days," was performed by Millicent Martin on a British television show as a tribute to the late president.

 

On December 2, 1963, Connie Francis recorded a version of

the song, and it was released to the public. 

Initially it charted reasonably well, but soon many stations across the U.S. began to refuse to play the record, claiming that  it was inappropriate and an effort to capitalize on the tragic event. 

The record ultimately stalled at #46.

Connie's days as 'Queen of the Billboard Charts' were over.

TO LISTEN TO "IN THE SUMMER OF HIS DAYS" click this link:

http://youtu.be/O-bbJKF6-qM



THE MURMAIDS

Comprised of two sisters and a friend, The Murmaids had an enormous hit with, "Popsicles, Icicles," which was written by David Gates, who would later become the lead singer of the group Bread.  The song peaked at #3 in January, 1964.

The Murmaids would never be heard from again.

TO LISTEN TO "POPSICLES, ICICLES" click this link:

http://youtu.be/9iZck-jsfiE



 BOBBY RYDELL

A steady and consistent hitmaker since 1959, Bobby Rydell was on his way down the charts with, "Forget Him," which had peaked at #4 on January 18, 1964. 

He would never place another record in the Billboard Top Ten.

TO LISTEN TO "FORGET HIM" click this link:

http://youtu.be/_IKpA__9kTU

******************************

As the morning progressed . .



Passengers were arriving . .

Airline crew members reported for duty . .

Little did JFK Airport know, over four thousand young people and more than two hundred reporters were making their way to the International Arrivals Building.

They would be on hand to greet Pan American flight 101
when it arrived at 1:20 p.m. 

They wanted to
   MEET THE BEATLES !

1 IF BY LAND, 2 IF BY SEA, 3 IF BY AIR!





                FRIDAY    FEBRUARY 7, 1964

JOHN AND CYNTHIA LENNON IN THE VIP LOUNGE AT HEATHROW BEFORE BOARDING FLIGHT TO AMERICA



"All we knew was that a couple of the records had done well in the States. We believed there was still a huge mountain to climb if The Beatles were really to make it there.

At Heathrow there was pandemonium. Thousands of fans had arrived from all over Britain and any ordinary passengers hoping to travel that day had to give up. Screaming, sobbing girls held up 'We Love You, Beatles' banners and hordes of police, linking arms in long chains, held them back.

We were ushered into a massive press conference, where journalists, spotting me at the side of the room, demanded a picture of John and me together. To my surprise John agreed. He was usually careful to keep Julian and me away from publicity, but this time, carried along by the momentum of the whole thing, he agreed.

Minutes later we were ushered to the plane. At the top of the steps the boys waved to the packed airport terraces as the screams crescendoed."
                               Cynthia Lennon

It's estimated that over four thousand fans were waiting at London's Heathrow Airport to see The Beatles off on Friday, February 7, 1964, and it had been just such hysteria that had caught the attention of Ed Sullivan on October 31, 1963 as he happened to be at Heathrow waiting to return to New York when The Beatles' plane arrived from Sweden to similar pandemonium.

'Beatlemania' had erupted in the UK the year before, and the throngs of screaming, wailing, adoring fans had become rather commonplace in this, the nation of The Beatles' origin, but the band was uncertain about the reception they would receive in America.

They were scheduled for an 11:00 A.M. departure

 on Pan American Airways 707 Clipper "Defiance," Flight 101.

Their destination . . . New York City

AMID THE SCREAMS OF THOUSANDS OF BRITISH FANS, JOHN AND CYNTHIA LENNON (FOLLOWED BY BEATLES' MANAGER BRIAN EPSTEIN) CROSS THE TARMAC AT HEATHROW TO BOARD PAN AM FLIGHT 101





THE BEATLES PRIOR TO BOARDING PAN AM FLIGHT 101 BOUND FOR NEW YORK



With a final wave goodbye, The Beatles boarded the plane and were off.

                                                                                                                                                                  

    



JOHN AND CYNTHIA

Once aloft, George Harrison captured some private moments:



THE ENIGMATIC PHIL SPECTOR





SPECTOR, JOHN AND CYNTHIA



"He's as mad as a hatter. The first time I met Phil (Spector), we were all on a plane going to New York and that's when we realised how crazy he was because he 'walked to America'. He was so nervous of flying he couldn't sit down, so we watched him walk up and down the length of the plane all the way."

                           RINGO STARR

Although The Beatles were an enormous success
in the UK and much of Europe, the U.S. was quite another issue.

Yes, their record, "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was number one in the States, but there was still a reticence amongst the group about how they would be received in America.

"They've got everything over there. What do they want us for?"  

                                                     George Harrison

NEW YORK CITY SKYLINE 1964

Oh George,  fear not . . .