It was 61 years ago today...

When the Beatles first hit our shores, I was firmly into the Motown sound and did not like the Beatles while in high school, yeah, yeah, yeah. Then I went to college, Sgt. Pepper's came out, and Vietnam war was killing my friends while I played baseball on a sports scholarship. Oh, and I discovered weed.

That synergistic interaction was a reality check on how I perceived my world. Forgetabout the old conservative, racist, religious shackles of the mind numbing 1950ies. Instead of Motown (still great) it was the Beatles, Stones, Doors, Led Zepplin, The Band, Airplane, Santana et. al.  Music fueled my generation and as a result I got my "head screwed on correctly" and have had a "wonderful life". Oh Yeah!

Lest we forget that the arrival of the Beatles was exactly the cure needed for America's mass depression following JFK's assassination.

The Beatles let us be happy again.

The best was The Doors on Ed playing Light My Fire, they were told to change the lyrics so as not to say "Babe we couldn't get much higher" Morrison defied Ed and sang it anyway and that was the last they were on there!

Regards,

barts

I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan on the recommendation of Mr. Foster the school band teacher who in November had entered the practice room to inform us that President Kennedy had been assassinated a few miles from our school.

Watching Get Back last year was a reminder of how creative the Beatles were and of course they could afford to have a film crew follow them for a month. 

My dad had just purchased a stereo with flip-down turntable and foldout speakers for us kids so my brother and I could play music in our bedroom. (Probably had nothing to do with the fact that we were playing OUR music on HIS Admiral console stereo). We were in hifi heaven.