As February, 2013 draws to an end, we want to take a quick look at the shortest month 49 years ago, the month that changed the world, 1964. THE BEATLES were almost totally unknown in the U.S. five weeks earlier, but they began February with the top two songs – I Want To Hold Your Hand and She Loves You and 4 other songs on the Top 100! Beatlemania was well under way. They landed at JFK Airport on Friday the 7th to a welcome with thousands of screaming teenagers. They gave their first press conference at the Airport and immediately won over the press. When they got to The Plaza Hotel in midtown NYC there were 400 fans waiting there, too. Almost every other song being played on Top 40 radio was a Beatles song. Sunday Night’s (9th) Live appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show was viewed by 73 Million people, over 40% of the population at the time (Superbowls are seen by about 30%). There was also no crime reported during the hour! After their first concert (11th) at the Washington Coliseum, they returned to NY to play two shows at Cargenie Hall on Lincoln’s Birthday holiday (12th). Next it was off to Florida for another Live TV appearance from the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach. A few days of public appearances and some R & R and they departed to a hero’s welcome in London. Before the month was over, George turned 21 and they immediately began recording music for their first movie. As the month ended, The Beatles had a dozen songs on the charts, were on the covers of all the major magazines and millions of teenagers (myself included) took to growing their hair and learning to play guitars or drums! There has never been a month in the history of entertainment that was more important or exciting!!!

This Week in Beatles History February 13-21, 1964. After The Beatles went to DC for their first U.S. Concert (2/11 at the Washington Coliseum), they headed back to NYC for two performances at Carnegie Hall (It was Lincoln’s Birthday holiday back then so they played  afternoon and evening performances.) on the 13th, they flew down to Miami for their second live Ed Sullivan Show appearance on the 16th at the Deauville Hotel. Although they had numerous rehearsals, they did get SOME time for much needed R & R. On Friday the 21st, The Beatles left the hotel for a triumphant return to London, in time to celebrate George’s 21st birthday (2/25) and to begin recording and filming A Hard Day’s Night a few days later. How’s that for a hectic, Beatlemania filled schedule!! On a personal note, I (Mark) happened to be walking by the Deauville Hotel when they were getting ready to leave. My Mother and I waited until they left and that is when I got my first and only up close look at all of The Beatles at the same time. I knocked on their car window and they all waved back to me. A moment I will NEVER forget!

On a sad note, TONY SHERIDAN passed away this past Saturday. He was 72. He moved from the UK to Hamburg in 1960 and lived there pretty much for the rest of his life. The Beatles got their first recording studio experience with Tony, during the Hamburg days in the early 1960s. They recorded My Bonnie and Ain’t She Sweet among others. Paul noted on his site, “He was a good guy who we know and worked with from the early days in Hamburg.” Tony was a special guest at our NY METRO FEST in 1996.

February 18, 2013. Yoko Ono turns 80 years young today. She is as busy as ever, performing a concert to a sold out audience in Berlin Germany last night to commemorate this milestone. It was billed as Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band and Sean joined his mother in the band as its leader. She continues to crusade for important environmental and peace causes, currently pressing NY’s Governor Cuomo to prevent dangerous fracking for Shale Oil. Yoko was the love of John’s life and for those few who still don’t understand what they had, listen to Oh Yoko, Woman, and Dear Yoko today. It’s all there in the grooves! Happy Birthday, Yoko, and thanks for showing us that 80 is now officially the new 60.

Peace and Love,
The Lapidos Family

We congratulate Paul McCartney for winning the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Grammy for Kisses On The Bottom. Paul stepped out of his Rock and Roll shoes and gave us a CD full of songs he grew up listening to, plus a couple of new ones including the beautiful My Valentine. He was also on Jimmy Fallon’s Grammy winning Best Comedy Album for Blow Your Pants Off. Paul joined Jimmy for a unique version of Scrambled Eggs.

On a personal note, we also want to congratulate Jack Antonoff and fun. for winning two major Grammy Awards for Song of the Year – We Are Young and Best New Artist – fun. It was quite exciting seeing a family friend/former staff member (NY METRO FEST about 10-12 years ago) win top honors. Well deserved.

February 7, 1964 – 49 years ago today, The Beatles landed at the newly named JFK Airport in NYC and the world started to turn in a different direction! A music, entertainment and cultural explosion that had never, ever been seen before or since. And it was just the beginning. That weekend culminated in their first Live Appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show that Sunday (2/9/64), which still boasts the largest TV audience in history (relative to the population). It is difficult to explain the phenomenon to those not old enough to have experienced it, but you can start by listening to The Beatles first two albums, Please Please Me and With The Beatles (in the U.S. we got them as Meet The Beatles and Introducing The Beatles). We got all of those sensational songs almost at the same time, as radio stations were playing a Beatles song – EVERY OTHER SONG! 49 years later, those memories are so clear. If you want to share your memories of early 1964, please go to our facebook page.

Also, in honor of this anniversary, our friends at Vegas Entertainment Radio are playing all Beatles today from 1:20PM (The exact time of their PanAm Plane landing) until 8:00PM EST. Check it out!

One of The Beatles biggest influences, the great Buddy Holly, died in a plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa, February 3, 1959 after a concert at the Surf Ballroom. What made Buddy so important to The Beatles and to music history was a combination of not only his talent as a singer AND a songwriter (a rare combination in the 1950s), but his looks and his rock and roll attitude which paved the way for countless others. In 1958, John, Paul & George  made their first record. It was That’ll Be The Day. (Anthology 1). As The Beatles, they recorded Words Of Love. In their solo careers both John and Paul recorded Peggy Sue. His songs, owned and in good hands by Paul McCartney, are now known world wide with big hits by Peter & Gordon, James Taylor and Linda Rondstadt so name just a few. His legend and his music will live forever. For those who may not be old enough to know, The Day The Music Died, is from Don McLean’s classic American Pie. Long Live Buddy.