"We were young, it was fun," Ringo sang decades later

Author's Rating:

Pros: Four Beatles' appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 and 1965 can't be missed!

Cons: If only the Sullivan show had gone to color by then!

The Bottom Line: 
Sullivan brought the Beatles to America, and I'm forever grateful! Their appearances will never be forgotten by those who witnessed them, and may now be appreciated by generations that follow.

Author's Review
America changed in February of 1964. I was in fourth grade, plenty old enough to witness it firsthand.

On Feb. 9, 1964, Ed Sullivan introduced four lads from Liverpool to his stage - with their upright, yet still "mod," suits and unconventional haircuts - and at that moment the world seemed to explode into Beatlemania!

For years I could picture their first Sullivan appearance, but it wasn't until the four Ed Sullivan Show DVDs were released that I could truly relive those performances in the context of the time in which they were set.

For not only are the Beatles' performances preserved, so is each hour-long show, including many of the classic commercials such as those for Pillsbury pineapple upside-down cake and headache medicines. All in beautiful black-and-white!

You could see on Ed Sullivan's face that he accomplished a major feat bringing the boys to America, and they in turn treated him with deference. Ed wisely had the Beatles appear in both halves of the shows, so no channel-turning was likely. In fact, for three of the four shows, the Beatles were the opening act!

On the evening of their first appearance, Feb. 9, the Beatles burst into song with the lyrics, "Close your eyes and I'll kiss you, tomorrow I'll miss you!" Paul radiated joy and confidence, John and George exuded nervousness, and Ringo came across as somewhere in the middle.

Five Beatles tunes entered our consciousness that night and never left: All My Loving, Till There was You (from The Music Man), She Loves You, and in the second half of the show: I Saw Her Standing There, and I Want to Hold Your Hand.

This night, Davy Jones performed on stage with the cast of "Oliver" (including Georgia Brown, who soloed), which was appearing then on Broadway. Jones, as almost everyone knows, later became a star of The Monkees, a made-for-TV Beatles-like group. (The Monkees were sometimes called the Pre-fab Four.) Other famous folk on the show this evening included comedian and impressionist Frank Gorshin (later to play the Riddler on the Batman TV show) and singer Tessie O'Shea. Other performers who I didn't consider famous were Fred Kaps, Terry McDermott, McCall and Brill, and Wells and the Four Fays.

The Beatles' second appearance one week later on Feb. 16 and filmed in Miami, Florida began with songs: She Loves You, This Boy and All My Loving. They closed the show with: I Saw Her Standing There, From Me to You and I Want to Hold Your Hand. Some microphone problems plagued the fellows but the audience hardly cared!

Sullivan's other notable guests that night included boxers Sonny Liston and Joe Louis, comedians Allen and Rossi, singer/actress Mitzi Gaynor, the Nerveless Knocks (with sway pole routine), and a comedian I never heard of before or after, Myron Cohen.

One week later, three times' a charm! The Beatles returned once more, on Feb. 23, before heading home to a joyous welcome in England. They opened with: Twist and Shout and Please Please Me, and closed with I Want to Hold Your Hand. Notable acts appearing on the same bill included Gordon and Sheila MacRae and Cab Calloway. Not so notable were Gloria Bleezarde, Pinky and Perky, Morcambe and Wise (the Beatles had appeared on their show in England), comedians Dave Barry and Morty Gunty.

After the Beatles made their mark on America, my parents' Life magazine was delivered featuring the now famous lads, and I hung their pictures on my bedroom door!

Show number four on Sept. 12, 1965 - about a year and a half later - showed a marked difference in the Beatles' appearance and in their maturity of music. By this time, their hair had grown longer and their music had grown more contemplative.

Opening the show were Soupy Sales, Cilla Black (a Beatles' chum from England) and Fantasio, whom I'd never heard of. The Beatles finally came on and sang: I Feel Fine, I'm Down and Act Naturally (a fun Ringo number penned by Buck Owens).

After the Beatles, Allen and Rossi appeared, and Cilla Black and Soupy Sales returned to the stage.

Finally, the Beatles came out to close the show with Ticket to Ride, Yesterday and Help.

This two-disc set containing all four shows is a must for every Beatles fan as well as for those who are interested in the 1960s.

These shows capture a few memorable moments in time, and I enjoy them often!