How Did The Beatles Get on The Ed Sullivan Show? The TRUE Story
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- How did The Beatles get onto the Ed Sullivan Show? There are many myths and it takes a lot to uncover the real story, which historian and author Bruce Spizer has done.
Although the Ed Sullivan Show was watched by 73 million people, it wasn't a fluke that got them there. Many American families tuned in to the Ed Sullivan Show every week, but this was normally around 20 million people.
It took nearly 12 months for every little piece of the jigsaw to fit into place, between British and American people who were helping make it happen.
Dave Dexter at Capitol Records blocked the Beatles records. Their TV debut was on the day JFK was shot. Marsha Albert requested the new record "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and it all fell into place. But there were three record companies involved: VeeJay, Swan and Capitol.
All roads led to the Ed Sullivan Show and immortality!
Our store is at www.beatlessho...
David Bedford is a Beatles historian and author of several books on The Beatles, including his worldwide most popular book, “Liddypool: Birthplace of The Beatles”. Find out more about David at liddypool.com/
Brightmoon Liverpool is part of Brightmoon Media, an award-winning media production and broadcast company based in Liverpool, UK. Our recent works include the John Lennon feature documentary 'Looking for Lennon', as well as a number of specialist educational films for some of the UK's top universities.
Follow us to find out more about upcoming projects:
Twitter: bit.ly/3z5HivM
Instagram: bit.ly/2USqhq7
Facebook: bit.ly/3imDcc7
Brightmoon website: bit.ly/2Vi5Pzl
If you would like to work with us, please contact our founder and director Roger
Appleton at rappleton@live.co.uk
Great interview!
Great video, loved Bruce's breakdown. I was just 4 years old when the group hit America, so don't remember it first hand, it had to of been a great time. The Beatles, IMO, are one the greatest stories ever told. It's, as Philip Norman said in his book Shout, a scarcely believable true story.
I agree with you.
And if you had to write it down as a work of fiction, nobody would believe it! It is too incredible.
Great information.
Amazing isn't it?
Awesome. I thought I knew a lot about the Beatles but there’s just so much to uncover and discover. I have to get back to Liverpool soon. Give my regards to Colin Hanton
I learned so much too! Always something more. You are welcome back anytime and I will say hi to Colin too.
Interesting about VeeJay. I have the original album, the second version that was put out after Capitol's injunction. My dad bought it for me in 1964 because it was cheaper than "Meet the Beatles" (aka 'With the Beatles'). Yes, Beatlemania had been building well before the Sullivan show. Everybody knew to watch it--even a little kid like me in a small town.
Fabulous! Oh, to have been there!! Must have been mind-blowing.
And I was thinking, "If only I could be in Liverpool!"
I remember leading up to the Sullivan performance, local radio everywhere was playing Beatle songs. There was an ad campaign that repeated, “The Beatles Are Coming, The Beatles Are Coming.”. Everyone wanted to see them on the show. The show was broadcast in B&W. With the massive audience Sullivan soon went with colour. Nobody that I knew had colour TV sets at the time. The power of The Beatles.
They changed the world! Must have been so exciting!
Actually, color broadcasts (or colour, depending on which side of the pond you are on) would not come to the Ed Sullivan Show for another year and a half after the Beatles' debut in Feb. '64.
In fact the final Beatles live-performance for Ed's show was taped in B&W on August 14, 1965 (the day before their 1st Shea Stadium concert) but held for broadcast a month later on September 12, 1965. At the end of that show, Sullivan announced that, beginning the following week, on Sunday, 19 September, his show would begin broadcasting in colo(u)r. Headlining that show, which would emanate from CBS Studios in Hollywood, CA, would be Milton Berle, Eddie Fisher and Polly Bergen ... and the first pop musical act that would benefit from this new and exciting "Oz-like" video technology was none other than ... wait, for it ... Dino, Desi & Billy.
PS: Great work, as usual, from two of the best out there, David and Bruce.
@loulongobardi1205 Thanks Lou! And yes, colour 😀
Un good tittle for a beatle book would be 'WHERE WAS YOU FEBRUARY 7 th 1964?'
Insane that EMI/Transnational gave Vee-Jay the rights for Beatles singles for FIVE YEARS.
I know! Crazy. Nobody wanted them!!
Worcester Mass. is NOT a Suburb of Boston. It is It's Own city in the Middle of the State.There are three cities in Massachusetts. Boston on the East coast, Worcester in the Middle of the State and Springfield in the West of the State where Basketball was invented and where Dr. Seuss came from.
In Bob Spitz 1990s Beatles biography he claims that the head of EMI flew to LA for a super-secret meeting in which he ordered Capital (which EMI owned) to release I Want to Hold Your Hand and give it a big push. This sounds a lot more believable to me than that the head of Capital would take a phone call from an unknown manger of an unknown group and be convinced to overide his underlying Dave Dexters decisions to to not release The Beatles. I think the Epstein - Livingston phone call was a fiction made up to make Capital look good and cover up the truth.
It will be interesting to see which version Mark Lewisohn gives in his next Betales book -whenever it comes out!
I doubt Lewisohns version would be any more accurate, Not to get tinfoilhatted about it but something way bigger was going on (as you say "super-secret meetings in LA" et al.) but that's a potato so hot I doubt any of these historians would even dare touch upon, I hope one day we'll get past all the gatekeepy authors and hear the Beatles REAL story
It is known that Len Wood (EMI) had been trying to convince Capitol to release the records. George Martin had been pestering them too, so Livingstone was aware of what the Beatles were doing in the UK. Remember that the EMI/ Capitol deal meant that Capitol had first refusal, but EMI London could not impose their will. So the group and Epstein were known to Livingstone and pressure had been applied. What Brian was able to do was add to that and help convince Livingstone to back the Beatles. It was a cumulative effect, just as Beatlemania in America was, taking several months to come to fruition.
@@BrightmoonLiverpool Appreciate the feedback David, I just feel like there's so many anomalies regarding their rise, something very orchestrated about it, even from the time 'Eppy' just strolls out the store with a whole bunch of free instruments on a wishful 'these boys will be big' promise (how many times they must've heard that chestnut?), it's like every stage of events seems to have a shady voice on a telephone telling someone "just do it", I mean I've read/heard at least 3 different stories of how George Martin came to sign them, George couldn't even explain the discrepencies when Lewisohn put the paperwork in front of him, I think George(H) and Johns vocal unease with 'the myth' maybe alluded to something far more deep than mere modesty
The microphone being off deserves a whole video. Did England see them THAT night or years later? 8:48 Dave Dexter WAS out or touch, sure BUT drenching their music in echo and reverb....was the correct decision. And our Rubber Soul is SO much better than the Beatles original tracklisting. (not that Dexter was involved with that LP.)
England has never seen that show in England, per Mark Lewishon. One would think someone would have gotten that show over to the UK. Maybe some union blockage caused it. Not sure how much US TV got to the UK back then either.
I think Lewisohn was referring to a broadcast of the Ed Sullivan Show. There have been dvds available, most likely in the UK.
Brilliant'
Brilliant! A great interviewer knows when to shut up! Well done lads
Thank you. The interview should never be about the interviewer, and when the guest is this good, I know to sit back and listen. That is enjoyable for me too.
Bruce Spizer is a great storyteller.
He certainly is. I was happy just to let him talk!
Excellent enterview and informatión David. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
No way the president of Capitol just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Okay, Brian, we'll spend $40,000 (=$400,000+ today) promoting your group's new record, if you insist."
History shows that he did spend a huge budget, which made a big difference. I think he liked the music more than Dexter did.
Bruce Spizer hit "all the posts." It was like pieces of a puzzle coming together. Nobody knew or cared about the Beatles in America until suddenly there was this huge buzz about them. Hearing Beatles music on radio and seeing them on Sullivan was the icing on the cake! We couldn't get enough of them after that.
Bruce is the guy! Great author, great historian, great storyteller, great story. Perfect mix!
Wonderful interview. I was in the 4th grade, and remember Beatle Mania very well.
Must have been incredible!
4th grade is that age when you, perhaps, fancy a girl or two in class. For me, with the backdrop of; She Loves You, I Want To Hold Your Hand, PS I Love You, etc. And then through to my 12th grade graduation, The Beatles continued to be the backdrop as I grew up. My AM transistor radio served me well indeed (and The Beatles still sounded good on tinny little speakers). Incredible experience, and likely never to happen again. God bless Paul and Ringo. @@BrightmoonLiverpool
This totally destroys the old Beatles lore that the band had told Brian they wouldn't go to the States before they had a #1 there. As it turns out they did have a #1 before they went, but the Ed Sullivan booking had been made before "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was even released by Capitol.
Exactly. So many myths out there!
@@BrightmoonLiverpool
yes but the problem is it’s McCartney telling that fable over and over which lends a certain measure of credence for anyone who hasn’t seen that clip of Derek talking about how McCartney just constantly makes stuff up. Most times the lore is WAY more interesting than the facts.
excellent point, hadn't thought of that. Paul especially, really sold that myth. Wonder why he did? The actual story was interesting enough.
@stevestroh2267 I think Paul has lost the ability to know which is fact and which is fab four fiction, because if you tell a story often enough it becomes your truth. Most of it isn't deliberate but the mists of time when life was a blur!