The Official Weekend Single's Thread ---May 19-21

Supernatural | May 19, 2006 | Supernatural

[Supernatural]

The British Invasion

I was rather lucky to have grown up in one of the most amazing periods in the history of modern music, what has become known as the “British Invasion”. It wasn’t really an invasion of the U.S. by an armed force from another country; rather it was an invasion of our music charts by British recording artists. I was in the eighth grade when I first heard “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You” by the Beatles. Prior to 1964 the British had only two hit records that topped the U.S. charts. Those were “Stranger on the Shore” by Acker Bilk and “Telstar” by the Tornadoes, both in 1962.

In 1964 Ed Sullivan, the host of the hugely popular “Ed Sullivan Show” was at a New York airport when the Beatles landed from England to go on their first U.S. tour. Crowds of screaming young girls greeted the Beatles and Ed was curious as to what the commotion was all about. He met with the Beatles on the spot and offered them $50,000 to appear on his show. The Beatles agreed and the British Invasion was officially underway. On February 9, 1964, the largest audience in the history of American television watched the Beatles perform live on the Ed Sullivan show. I was one of them.

For some years prior to 1964 young British musicians had idolized American music stars and many of the Americans were more popular in Britain than they were at home. The young Brits listened to Buddy Holly, Leadbelly, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, the Everly Brothers, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and many others. The U.S. musicians became like Gods to the young British musicians and they worked hard to emulate them.

The Animals (Eric Burdon), The Beatles, Chad and Jeremy, The Dave Clark Five, Freddy and the Dreamers, Herman’s Hermits, The Kinks (Ray Davies), Donovan, The Hollies (Graham Nash), The Rolling Stones (Mick Jagger and Keith Richards), Billy J. Kramer and the Dakota’s, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, Dusty Springfield, The Troggs, The Searchers, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Peter and Gordon, The Honeycombs, Manfred Mann, The Yardbirds (Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton), The Zombies, The Moody Blues, The Walker Brothers, Petula Clark, The Move, The Small Faces (Rod Stewart), The Who (Pete Townshend, Roger Daltry), Argent, John Mayall’s Blues breakers (Eric Clapton, Peter Green), Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green), Cream (Eric Clapton), Jethro Tull (Ian Anderson), Procol Harum (Robin Trower), Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant), Traffic (Dave Mason, Stevie Winwood), Deep Purple and The Spencer Davis Group (Stevie Winwood).

Eric Burdon

Eric Clapton

Mick Jagger

The Who

Yardbirds Concert Advertisement

The Yardbirds with Jimmy Page

Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac

Jimmy Hendrix

The Beatles (George, John, Ringo and Paul)

Beatles ticket from 1964 (Pittsburgh, PA)

Some facts about the Beatles from “Wikipedia”

• During the week of April 4, 1964 The Beatles occupied the first five slots of the Billboard Hot 100, #1 - "Can't Buy Me Love," #2 - "Twist and Shout," #3 - "She Loves You," #4 - "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and #5 - "Please Please Me," the only group in rock and roll history to achieve this feat.

• In 1964, the Beatles had the never-matched total of 15 American million-selling records (9 singles and 6 LPs), representing US sales of over 25 million in 1964 alone.

• "I Want To Hold Your Hand" sold nearly 5 million records in the US by 1968, making it the best selling single of the 1960s (from a Capitol Records Press release, September 9, 1968).

• When "Can’t Buy Me Love" was released in the US on March 16, 1964, it sold 940,225 copies on the first day, shattering all previous sales records. The single went on to sell over 3 million by the end of the year (Spizer, Bruce, 2000: The Beatles’ Story on Capitol Records, Part One: Beatlemania & The Singles, p. 36).

British Number One Singles of 1964

• 1 I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND - The Beatles
• 2 A HARD DAY'S NIGHT - The Beatles
• 3 CAN'T BUY ME LOVE - The Beatles
• 4 LOVE ME DO - The Beatles
• 5 HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN - The Animals
• 6 I FEEL FINE - The Beatles
• 9 A WORLD WITHOUT LOVE - Peter & Gordon
• 11 DO WAH DIDDY DIDDY - Manfred Mann
• 12 I SAW HER STANDING THERE - The Beatles
• 13 HAVE I THE RIGHT - The Honeycombs
• 18 SHE LOVES YOU - The Beatles
• 22 NEEDLES AND PINS - The Searchers
• 24 YOU REALLY GOT ME - The Kinks
• 25 LITTLE CHILDREN - Billy J.Kramer & the Dakotas

British Number One Singles of 1965

• 1 HELP! - The Beatles
• 2 I FEEL FINE - The Beatles
• 3 TICKET TO RIDE - The Beatles
• 4 (I CAN'T GET NO) SATISFACTION - Rolling Stones
• 5 MRS BROWN YOU'VE GOT A LOVELY DAUGHTER- Herman's Hermits
• 6 GET OFF OF MY CLOUD - The Rolling Stones
• 11 YESTERDAY - The Beatles
• 14 WE CAN WORK IT OUT - The Beatles
• 15 DOWNTOWN - Petula Clark
• 16 THE LAST TIME - The Rolling Stones
• 18 I'M TELLING YOU NOW - Freddie & the Dreamers
• 19 DAYTRIPPER - The Beatles
• 27 GAME OF LOVE - Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders
• 30 EIGHT DAYS A WEEK - The Beatles

British Number One Singles of 1966

• 1 WE CAN WORK IT OUT - The Beatles
• 3 DAYTRIPPER - The Beatles
• 5 ELEANOR RIGBY - The Beatles
• 7 GREEN GREEN GRASS OF HOME - Tom Jones
• 10 PAPERBACK WRITER - The Beatles
• 11 THE SUN AIN'T GONNA SHINE ANYMORE - The Walker Brothers
• 12 FRIDAY ON MY MIND - The Easybeats
• 14 PAINT IT BLACK - The Rolling Stones
• 15 WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL - New Vaudeville Band
• 20 WILD THING - The Troggs
• 23 MY LOVE - Petula Clark
• 26 PRETTY FLAMINGO - Manfred Mann
• 28 SUNNY AFTERNOON - The Kinks

Music of the British Invasion

Time Is On My Side…The Rolling Stones

Don‘t Bring Me Down…The Animals

Mellow Yellow…Donovan

You Really Got Me…The Kinks

White Room…Cream

Have I the Right…The Honeycombs

She Loves You…The Beatles

I Want To Hold Your Hand…The Beatles

For Your Love…The Yardbirds

Madison Blues…Fleetwood Mac

Ferry Cross the Mersey…Gerry and the Pacemakers

I‘m Telling You Now…Freddy & the Dreamers

Wild Thing…The Troggs

Go Now…The Moody Blues

Little Children…Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas

[ilovew]

Oh, that would be great. Thanks, snugs :)

[bannie]

Speaking of Beatles...I have several of their vinyls--but we called them "records" and "albums" in those ancient times of yore...:-)

[RockinRight]

Any interesting questions or discussions?

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

BTW.....

Bless you for taking the time to do something worthwhile with kids.

[ilovew]

Um...depends on what you consider interesting lol.

[RockinRight]

Um... OK!

[snugs]

In England when FNC break for adverts we used to get weather maps of the world but recently we are getting the "infomercial" I am amazed some of them pass the advertising standards.

They are so subliminal and unless you pay attention you really could be fooled they are not adverts.

[bannie]

I graduated in 1970...I felt like everything changed just after THAT year.

They measured our skirts to see that they weren't more than 4 inches above our knees. I'm short: I barely had four inches above my knee, so I got "measured" more than once.

Another thing that's changed: At the end of our senior years, we had a "senior breakfast" at which we had ministers and preachers come to share their experiences/prayers with us. It wasn't mandatory; but everyone went: We wore gloves and heels, and the guys wore ties, etc. It was a serious, respectful moment in the midst of all of the excitement and silliness.

My favorite senior goodie, however, was our Grad Night trip to DISNEYLAND!

:-) The kids still do that.

[ilovew]

Wow...thanks. I love kids.

[rzeznikj at stout]

Howdy!

How's everything on the Other Side? 8^)

[pcottraux]

It's going pretty good. Been busy with work.

[Supernatural]

The hed the four-inch rule when I was in too.

Then they changed everything. Tshirts were OK, sneakers were OK, slacks and jeans for girls were OK.

Then they went from smoking cigarettes in the bathrooms to smoking pot.

[Supernatural]

Why do you think they call it work?

I always said because it isn't any fun.

[snugs]

Fine thanks except it is nearly the end of May and still raining but we are told we have shortage of water - must be the wrong sort of water.

I know that a couple of months of rainy weather does not help build up the actual depleted reservoir but it seems crazy pouring with rain and a hose pipe usage ban.

[cibco]

When I went to high school long hair was a no no. 4 of us got a pass because we were in a Rock n' Roll band. Long hair = bangs.

[rzeznikj at stout]

I hear ya.

During the summer, there are lawn watering bans. Although we've had a rainy spring, I suspect we'll have it again though...

Not to mention that where I live, the water is radioactive.

[proud_yank]

I was about to ask how your job search went. Great to hear you found something!

I have to get going home, been a long (but good) day here.

Sounds like things are going pretty good for ya.

[bannie]

LOL..now even the teachers have to hide to smoke on campus! I've never smoked; but I still think we've taken this thing a little too far.

[proud_yank]

Why do you think they call it work?

Someone has to, welfare checks don't write themselves!

[Supernatural]

Hair touching your collar or touching your ear was bad when I was in.

We had almost the same rules the military had.

Except we weren't allowed to carry guns or shoot people.