THE USA BECKONS (ROOM 203)
THE USA BECKONS (ROOM 203)
Two weeks after the London Palladium gig and the so-called advent of Beatlemania, the band were filmed returning from a short and very successful tour of Sweden in October 1963. The scenes at Heathrow Airport were chaotic as thousands of screaming fans welcomed them home. Passing through Heathrow at the time and fascinated by what he was observing was Ed Sullivan, who hosted Americas most famous and influential TV variety show. Despite the fact the band were almost unknown in the USA, negotiations began with Brian Epstein to bring them to the United States. Brian famously declared they would only ever travel when they had a US number 1 hit, but in actual fact a deal was struck in November which would lead to two appearances on The Ed Sullivan show in February, an unprecedented move for an unknown band.
By the third week in January 1964, the Beatles received news that left them flabbergasted. They were half way through a residency in Paris when they learnt that their new single “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” had indeed topped the American charts. America had long been a graveyard for British acts, very few had ever even experienced moderate success. The Beatles were about to break open the floodgates and change the rules forever. America DJ’s were hyping their imminent arrival and The Beatles just couldn’t wait to get there. The country had only a few weeks before experienced the incredible loss of their popular President Kennedy to assassination. Something was needed to lift the country’s spirits; cue four boys from Liverpool!
Artwork painted and owned by ©SHANNON
THE USA BECKONS (ROOM 203)
Two weeks after the London Palladium gig and the so-called advent of Beatlemania, the band were filmed returning from a short and very successful tour of Sweden in October 1963. The scenes at Heathrow Airport were chaotic as thousands of screaming fans welcomed them home. Passing through Heathrow at the time and fascinated by what he was observing was Ed Sullivan, who hosted Americas most famous and influential TV variety show. Despite the fact the band were almost unknown in the USA, negotiations began with Brian Epstein to bring them to the United States. Brian famously declared they would only ever travel when they had a US number 1 hit, but in actual fact a deal was struck in November which would lead to two appearances on The Ed Sullivan show in February, an unprecedented move for an unknown band.
By the third week in January 1964, the Beatles received news that left them flabbergasted. They were half way through a residency in Paris when they learnt that their new single “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” had indeed topped the American charts. America had long been a graveyard for British acts, very few had ever even experienced moderate success. The Beatles were about to break open the floodgates and change the rules forever. America DJ’s were hyping their imminent arrival and The Beatles just couldn’t wait to get there. The country had only a few weeks before experienced the incredible loss of their popular President Kennedy to assassination. Something was needed to lift the country’s spirits; cue four boys from Liverpool!
Artwork painted and owned by ©SHANNON
THE USA BECKONS (ROOM 203)
Two weeks after the London Palladium gig and the so-called advent of Beatlemania, the band were filmed returning from a short and very successful tour of Sweden in October 1963. The scenes at Heathrow Airport were chaotic as thousands of screaming fans welcomed them home. Passing through Heathrow at the time and fascinated by what he was observing was Ed Sullivan, who hosted Americas most famous and influential TV variety show. Despite the fact the band were almost unknown in the USA, negotiations began with Brian Epstein to bring them to the United States. Brian famously declared they would only ever travel when they had a US number 1 hit, but in actual fact a deal was struck in November which would lead to two appearances on The Ed Sullivan show in February, an unprecedented move for an unknown band.
By the third week in January 1964, the Beatles received news that left them flabbergasted. They were half way through a residency in Paris when they learnt that their new single “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” had indeed topped the American charts. America had long been a graveyard for British acts, very few had ever even experienced moderate success. The Beatles were about to break open the floodgates and change the rules forever. America DJ’s were hyping their imminent arrival and The Beatles just couldn’t wait to get there. The country had only a few weeks before experienced the incredible loss of their popular President Kennedy to assassination. Something was needed to lift the country’s spirits; cue four boys from Liverpool!
Artwork painted and owned by ©SHANNON