Monday, January 6, 1964 – 7:45PM. I (Mark) remember it like it was yesterday. I was listening to 77-WABC the main Top 40 radio station in NYC, doing my homework when I first heard I Want To Hold Your Hand. It immediately grabbed me, so different, so exciting, so new. I wanted to know who I was listening to. When the song was over, Radio Legend Scott Muni announced that it was a group from England called The Beatles. I thought “what an unusual name! This was a few days before my 16th birthday and all these years later I am still hooked on them. Once a Beatles fan, always a Beatles fan.
The Original & Longest Running Beatles Celebration, Since 1974!
Hi Mark
I grew up in Brooklyn on Rock n’ Roll, I turned 16 at the end of September 1963. Was that the first time it was played on NYC radio? The U.S. release date is listed as 12/26/63.
Thanks
PZ
No it wasn’t. If you recall, Christmas and New Years fell on Wednesday and back then it meant Two Weeks off! I was out of radio range until we returned on the 5th. It was all over the airwaves during the vacation. It was just the first time I heard it, or anything about the Beatles.
I can remember it like yesterday. I was in my second year of high school and was an avid fan of WABC. My friend Rob and myself were just starting to play our guitars together, and we were interested in playing 4 Season songs until we hear The Beatles. At this time our group was called “The Cartwrights” named after the characters on “Bonanza”. Little did we know what was to come from John, Paul, George and Ringo. I feel sorry for kids today to not have had the experience we had.
The music business just really stinks today and WABC has been turned into nothing but political baloney. Were are the Dan Ingrams, Scott Munis of today. There are none.
It is a different world out there in 2011. Young Beatles fans will have to settle for The Beatles through their music, movies and books. Not so terrible at all, but not what we experienced, is it?
Hi,
I was the first Beatles Fan Club president in 1964. I received permission from Brian Epstein in December 1963 and forwarded it to Gloria Stavers, the editor of 16 magazine. Needless to say, I was deluged with fan mail and needed 10 neighborhood friends to help me. I will never forget those early days.
Mark, the only thing I can say is that even though we are the older generation now, I am so thankful I can call myself a first generation Beatles fan. We all were there as it happened. It couldn’t get better than that. I am sure that today’s kids who are experiencing the Beatles for the first time think, “wow” what great music, but they will never know what we felt, saw, and experienced all those years ago. I am so thankful to have been apart of Beatlemania. it was the BEST time of my life!
I was living at Andrews A.F.B. and wanted to go see them soooo bad, but my Dad said he didn’t want us to be caught up in all of the chaos:( They were playing only minutes away, so he went out and got the album ASAP, and their next one, and their next one, and now you know the rest of the story. All paraphanlia. I did get to see Paul in 2005 at the MCI Center in D.C. That was an AWESOME concert!
I was a year old on that day. Though I don’t remember it, this may be part of the reasoon the Beatles are my all-time favorite group.
Dear Fest- thanks belatedly for an amazing August chicago Fest. You guys put on maybe my fave fest of them all! I can’t wait for the August Chicago Fest. With all the new reissues recently it should make for some lively discussion! I am a second generation fan and I must say for the 3rd and 4th generation fans, put on the new 9-9-09 remasters or new red/blue CD’s and just relax and let your mind “float downstream”. Kudos Fest to a job well done and to a Fab 2011!
Being 27, I never had the opportunity to enjoy The Beatles as a new group. I do have the pleasure of being born exactly 20 years after Please Please Me was released (March 22nd, 1983) :). This does not mean, however, that I did not get to experience the discovery of The Beatles through the radio. I remember being 15 and traveling through Seattle with my mom who was on business, when Magical Mystery Tour came on the radio. I had no idea it was The Beatles and had never heard it before. As soon as I got home I ran to the music aisle and bought the album. I then listened to it religiously day after day and have been hooked ever since. It was when I heard Strawberry Fields Forever that I knew I wanted to make music and art for the rest of my life. What a moment.
Happy new year i was Born in 64 how ever timelines and the beatles blended so well over the years. That at any age some one will have a comment or a story of something beatle realated. It knows no boundries cultures or anger issues .This was the wonderful gift that past present and futureBfans share and all i have to say is thanks to Mark L and the festians for making the fests a true learning experience Keep smiling
I was at the Ed Sullivan show for the fist performance with the Boy Scouts . Waht a long strange trip its been !!!
I was at the Ed Sullivan show for the fist performance with the Boy Scouts . What a long strange trip its been !!!
I was 11 years old when I first seen them on The Ed Sullivan Show. I dropped everything and followed them. They rocked my world. They were way ahead of their time, their name liveth forever.
These chaps changed the music world forever. I was in 6th grade when they hit America. This was the beginning of the end for bubble-gum music. Not only did they sing and sound great, their lyrics had real meaning. I cried when Hinckley shot the most peace loving man and fantastic poet to have ever come along. RIP brother John
Hinkley is the one who shot President Reagan in 1981. We never mention John’s assassin by name on our site.
I was six at the time we first heard the Beatles, and loved the music from day 1. Still love the music and the Beatles still rock the world!!
Man, I wish I was born around that time. All the great music and people changing the world, in hopes for better days. Whereas today all I hear horribly untalented artists, and people who want to cheat and hurt the public. I was definitely born 50 yrs. too late. Well, at least I still have the music.
I’m only 16 and so sorry that I will never get to live through the Beatles the way people did in the 60’s. Modern music is nothing compared to them.
I was 14 soon to be 15. We were all waiting for this day, because they hit the airwaves at 11:55 on 12/26/63. At 14, as soon as the news would come on WABC, I would change to WMCA – and that’s where they played I want to Hold Your Hand “for the first time in this country” – I was a fan on the first note. Then the news came on WMCA so back to WABC I went – and there “for the first time” they played the song again. So lucky was I to get a double dose. Back to 47 yrs ago 1/6/64 – even though my family never had money – my Mom always made sure I had all the latest Beatle music. I had the record the day it came out and the album. I love them as much now as I did on 1/6/64. One exception, until Ed Sullivan I loved Paul. After that show – in particular Twist and Shout – John became forever my favorite.
I was 9 and in 4th grade — my Mom told me some guy named McCartney was in the Beatles – being McCartney was her maidname we assumed he must be our cousin – so we watched Ed Sullivan that evening – I became an instant 4th grade cleb since I was Paul’s cousin. Related on not, it was love at first sight!
Happy 47th, I want to hold your hand
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I remember listening to I Want To Hold Your Hand or She Loves You and getting so excited especially after it was over the radio had, “Instant Replay-Replay” and you would get it all over again. God, it was a great time!
I am a 12 year old boy from Oklahoma,and I am in freaking love with the Beatles.I spend every dollar I can on there posters,shirts,hats,etc… from this website.I love this website.