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[parist]

Mark Lewisohn talking to former Old Grey Whistle presenters David Hepworth & Mark Ellen

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P_dKmxKU50" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P_dKmxKU50</a>

[Hello Goodbye]

Volume II  We'll look forward to that.  Well, not quite a long way forward.   

Thanks for posting that, parist.  That will have to do for now.

[zipp]

Yeah thanks for that.

Mark talks a lot about Ed Sullivan in '64 so he's probably writing the beginning of that year at the moment.

I'm sure he's got all the information he needs for volume two but now has to put it all together in a coherent and readable manner.

And he's more or less decided that volume two will go up to the end of December 1966 so that shows it's becoming more fixed in his head.

[nimrod]

Can't wait.
Loved reading the first one.

So glad he's doing this. 

[Moogmodule]

Yeah thanks for that.

Mark talks a lot about Ed Sullivan in '64 so he's probably writing the beginning of that year at the moment.

I'm sure he's got all the information he needs for volume two but now has to put it all together in a coherent and readable manner.

And he's more or less decided that volume two will go up to the end of December 1966 so that shows it's becoming more fixed in his head.

I hope it’s fixed in his head! I’d like to read the thing before I retire.

[Moogmodule]

Can't wait.
Loved reading the first one.

So glad he's doing this. 

Me too. And if it goes to end of 66 we could get the Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane sessions 

[nimrod]

I hope it’s fixed in his head! I’d like to read the thing before I retire.

ID like to read it before I die   

[Moogmodule]

ID like to read it before I die   

I’m setting that benchmark for his third volume 

[parist]

I’m going through the 2 volume kindle extended version at the moment. 

[zipp]

Has anybody noticed that Lewisohn has doubts about the Sullivan story of knowing about the Beatles from a trip to London in fall 63?

To what extent do you think this story was invented?

Here's the usual story :

"The official version of how Ed Sullivan learned about The Beatles begins on Oct. 31, 1963. On that day, Sullivan and his wife were at London Airport. It was an unusually busy day at the airport with the prime minister due to fly out and contestants for the Miss World contest (being held that year in London) arriving. Although the city was experiencing a heavy rainstorm that day more than 1,500 youngsters lined the rooftop gardens of the Queen's Building and others congregated on the ground. Sullivan asked what all the commotion was about and was informed that it was for The Beatles, who were returning from a tour of Sweden. He replied, "Who the hell are The Beatles?" Sullivan was told that the Beatles were a well-known pop group."

[Moogmodule]

Has anybody noticed that Lewisohn has doubts about the Sullivan story of knowing about the Beatles from a trip to London in fall 63?

To what extent do you think this story was invented?

Here's the usual story :

"The official version of how Ed Sullivan learned about The Beatles begins on Oct. 31, 1963. On that day, Sullivan and his wife were at London Airport. It was an unusually busy day at the airport with the prime minister due to fly out and contestants for the Miss World contest (being held that year in London) arriving. Although the city was experiencing a heavy rainstorm that day more than 1,500 youngsters lined the rooftop gardens of the Queen's Building and others congregated on the ground. Sullivan asked what all the commotion was about and was informed that it was for The Beatles, who were returning from a tour of Sweden. He replied, "Who the hell are The Beatles?" Sullivan was told that the Beatles were a well-known pop group."

Yes I’ve heard an alternative that Sullivan wasn’t in England that day or at least nowhere near the airport and that it was one of his staff who saw the goings on and reported back to him.

[zipp]

Yes I’ve heard an alternative that Sullivan wasn’t in England that day or at least nowhere near the airport and that it was one of his staff who saw the goings on and reported back to him.

Yeah, apparently Englishman Peter Pritchard and American Bob Precht, who both worked for Sullivan.

In James Maguire's biography "Impresario" he says Sullivan fabricated the airport story. I haven't got the book so I don't know if he says why.

[KelMar]

In James Maguire's biography "Impresario" he says Sullivan fabricated the airport story. I haven't got the book so I don't know if he says why.

I think this might be the why you’re looking for zipp:

“ The London Airport story makes for a flattering portrait of Ed: in a moment of serendipity, the veteran showman, always looking for the next trend, spots a rock ’n’ roll band perched on the cusp of international fame. But it’s highly unlikely that Ed was in London Airport on October 31.”

It goes on to cite evidence for this, mainly what Ed had written in his newspaper column around the time he was purported to be in London. The story seems to have made its debut four months after the Beatles appeared on his show for the first time. I don’t know if he’d been planning to say it or just made it up as he was being interviewed by an unnamed reporter. But he liked the story, and repeated it more than once, tweaking it at times. It wasn’t a complete lie; it happened but he wasn't there to see it. 

It seems that Peter Pritchard sent Ed British press clippings about the boys. I didn’t see Bob Precht mentioned. When Pritchard learned that Brian felt the time was right to invade America he urged Brian to hold off and let him try to open the door to Studio 50 which, of course, he succeeded in doing.

 

[zipp]

I think this might be the why you’re looking for zipp:

“ The London Airport story makes for a flattering portrait of Ed: in a moment of serendipity, the veteran showman, always looking for the next trend, spots a rock ’n’ roll band perched on the cusp of international fame. But it’s highly unlikely that Ed was in London Airport on October 31.”

It goes on to cite evidence for this, mainly what Ed had written in his newspaper column around the time he was purported to be in London. The story seems to have made its debut four months after the Beatles appeared on his show for the first time. I don’t know if he’d been planning to say it or just made it up as he was being interviewed by an unnamed reporter. But he liked the story, and repeated it more than once, tweaking it at times. It wasn’t a complete lie; it happened but he wasn't there to see it.

Thanks.

So,as very often, a story becomes repeated so much that it's held to be the truth.

Lewisohn is very wary of such assertions, which is why he seems credible.

[Hello Goodbye]

So,as very often, a story becomes repeated so much that it's held to be the truth.

Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt.

[zipp]

Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt.

Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.

[Hello Goodbye]

Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.

Publius Vergilius Maro

[zipp]

Publius Vergilius Maro

Marcus Ludovicifilius