How Did YOU Discover The Beatles?

[Silver Dollar]

In the weeks just before the Beatles came to America in 1964, a bunch of us guys in school kept wondering what was so great about the Beatles.  The girls were paying way more attention to them than they were to us.  (I did find out much later that the girls never wanted to pay much attention to us anyway. )  We hated it and we also hated the fact that they were also replacing the DooWop groups and groups like the 4 Seasons.  Then on 9 Feb. 1964, the Beatles were to play on TV.  I sat in front of the TV just waiting to hate them.  They started playing and I realized something was wrong.  I really liked what they were playing. I went from a Beatle hater to a huge Beatle fan overnight.  I figured if you can't beat them, join them.  I got a hold of a guitar and taught myself how to play all their songs.  I really wasn't that great of a guitarist and there were so many guitar players in my high school, I felt like a microscopic fish in the Atlantic Ocean.  Bass players however were in real short supply.  I took lessons and started playing a bunch of weddings and dances with my new Beatle Bass copy that I had to wait a long time to get.  As time went on, I switched to jazz bass and guitar and got away from playing strictly Beatle songs.  I now play along with my Beatle albums as well as my jazz CDs on my genuine 1965 Hofner Violin bass.  I got a chance to live through Beatlemania first hand and am still a huge fan. 

[KelMar]

Welcome! That's a great story Silver Dollar. I always like hearing from those who were there when it happened. I just missed it!

[Hello Goodbye]

Welcome to the Forum, Silver Dollar.

You and I are contemporaries sharing a similar experience in early 1964.  The Beatles appealed to girls much more than they did to us.  I liked what I saw on The Ed Sullivan Show but I liked the rougher groups better like The Animals and The Rolling Stones.  But I knew there was hope for The Beatles when I heard John belt out songs like Twist And Shout, It Won't Be long and Money (That's What I Want). 

By 1965, their music matured and I began to really enjoy The Beatles.  Rubber Soul is what clinched it for me.

[Fab4Fan]

Rubber Soul is what clinched it for me.

Ditto for me as well.  But I guess you'd never know it based upon my avatar, eh? 

And, welcome Silver Dollar, it's nice to have you aboard!

[Moogmodule]

Welcome! That's a great story Silver Dollar. I always like hearing from those who were there when it happened. I just missed it!

True Kelley. Consolation is we're younger.  ha2ha

That is a great story Silver Dollar. It's interesting to hear from guys who were teenagers at the time and how the Beatles won them over despite the screaming girl thing.

[Hello Goodbye]

It's interesting to hear from guys who were teenagers at the time and how the Beatles won them over despite the screaming girl thing.

The girls were basket cases, Moog.  If we showed them a picture of The Beatles, we'd get a response like this...





It was such good sport!   


I liked The Animals better in 1964 and 1965...


The Animals - It's My Life (1965) HD & HQ



Yeah, they did the Sullivan thing too.  And Eric Burdon actually smiled for about two seconds...


Please Don´t Let Me Be Misunderstood- The Animals

[Hello Goodbye]

True Kelley. Consolation is we're younger.  ha2ha

Yeah, well you'll be older too.

[Normandie]

Welcome, SilverDollar. I so wish I could have experienced Beatlemania firsthand. I definitely would have been one of those screaming, crying, incoherent girls. 

[nimrod]

Welcome to the Forum, Silver Dollar.

You and I are contemporaries sharing a similar experience in early 1964.  The Beatles appealed to girls much more than they did to us.  I liked what I saw on The Ed Sullivan Show but I liked the rougher groups better like The Animals and The Rolling Stones.  But I knew there was hope for The Beatles when I heard John belt out songs like Twist And Shout, It Won't Be long and Money (That's What I Want). 

By 1965, their music matured and I began to really enjoy The Beatles.  Rubber Soul is what clinched it for me.

Welcome..

Different for me, I saw their first tv appearance as an 11 year old in England and was completely hooked from that point on, John Lennon mesmerized me in particular, but George & Paul also to a slightly lesser degree
Ours was a very musical house, my Dad played piano & clarinet, and up to that point Id been a big fan of Lonny Donigan (Skiffle craze)
Ive loved them ever since that day as an 11 year old. I hounded my Mum for  a round collar Beatle Jacket and eventually got one 

[KelMar]

True Kelley. Consolation is we're younger.  ha2ha

And you're even younger than me Moog!

[Harpsichord]

Well, I suppose this is the best way to introduce myself. I'm only 14 years old, but I consider myself pretty knowledgeable regarding The Beatles and serveral other bands of the same era.
I discovered The Beatles through a hauntingly beautiful piece my mother used to play on the piano to put me to sleep. One day I asked her what it was, and she told me it was called Norwegian Wood, by The Beatles. The title captured my imagination. It wasn't until several years later, when I first heard Yesterday, that I became hooked.

[KelMar]

That's a great way to be introduced to The Beatles and a great way to introduce yourself to us. Welcome, Harpsichord!

[Hello Goodbye]

Welcome to this place, Harpsichord.  You joined the Forum on a magical weekend...the 45th anniversary of Woodstock.

[NotTheWalrus]

I discovered The Beatles by watching Help on television. I was young at the time, but had some idea that The Beatles had something to do with my favourite band at the time, The Monkees, so I watched the film. The rest is history.

[Bobber]

I discovered The Beatles by watching Help on television. I was young at the time, but had some idea that The Beatles had something to do with my favourite band at the time, The Monkees, so I watched the film. The rest is history.

Welcome aboard NotTheWalrus!