The Beginning of Change

I think the year was 1964. I was at a Girl Scout meeting in our school cafeteria. I guess the two girls must have been working on a music badge. Two little 5th grade girls started to sing, and I thought "Wow, that is a great song". The song was I Want to Hold Your Hand, by the Beatles. Now the point I am trying to get across is that this was only two little girls, not the Beatles, and it caught hold of me, it was that good. In fact, it was quite awhile later, before I even heard of the Beatles and heard them sing that song. When I did, I felt privately embarrassed and kind of sheepish about the whole thing.

To me, someone who was there and young enough to watch the progression of history and change in America and the world, I think this was a turning point. The Beatles. Yes, there was Rock and Roll, and it moved things forward, but I think that there was more of a major shift in our culture from the outset of the Beatles. My humble opinion.

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A little more about the Beatles and their coming to America. I remember watching them on the Ed Sullivan Show when he introduced them to America. Now it seems rather odd to me that Ed Sullivan was the one to bring them here. He just seemed so straight laced to me, but I guess he was not. Then I remember he brought them on a second time. Well, the first time must have made quite a stir, because this time, my mother (the one who thought that Elvis was the devil, remember?) went out and bought a Beatles Cake at the local bakery, and bought a Beatles Wig, and we had a Beatles party with her friends who came all the way from New Jersey. The reason I know this is because she took a ton of pictures of it all, including the cake, and her friend's husband wearing the wig. This was my mother who would only listen to Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, etc. Rock and Roll had completely passed her by. And we were watching the Beatles on TV having a Beatles party with all the trappings. Do I need to say more??

One other comment. Their hair seemed unbelievably long to us. We couldn't believe that they were that daring and would grow their hair that long.

The Beatles and Ed Sullivan, the first Ed Sullivan show

Here is a video of the Beatles singing I want to Hold Your Hand on the their first apperance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964.

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