Who among us has seen The Beatles in person? (1 Viewer)

[Jack Briggs]

The Beatles made history. John, Paul, George, and Ringo have sold more records than any other artist -- by a margin (estimates run toward 800 million albums and 1.6 billion singles). They altered the popular-music landscape, bringing rock almost to the level of "serious music." And the band changed the look of the culture (any long-haired man today owes the length of his locks to the Fab Four).

But how many here at HTF actually have seen the band in person? I have. The 8:30 show at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee on August 19, 1966 (during the "We Are More Popular Than Jesus" tour). That show was sold out, though the earlier concert at 4 p.m. was not. Despite the band's own complaints about how "terrible" they sounded (because of the screaming audiences) that year, I thought The Beatles sounded great. Too, just seeing them in person was almost awe-inspiring. Amazing, amazing band.

After The Beatles' August 29 show at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, it was too late. The Beatles only performed "Hey Jude" live during The David Frost Show in 1968, and put on that rooftop concert in London during the Get Back sessions in early 1969. Otherwise, you had no further chances to see them live.

But I did! How many else here at Home Theater Forum have seen The Beatles in person?

 

[BobO'Link]

I was 11 in 1966 and too young (the story of my life - too young for Woodstock too, one I *did* know about). It's unlikely that either of my parents would have taken me even had I known about the concert (such things just weren't on my radar at 11yo), although they did drop me off at a Memphis theater to see "One Million Years B.C." a few months after that concert date (early January, 1967). I lived a short 40 miles from Memphis then in a little town called Marked Tree (and not too much further away now). The closest I ever got was seeing Help! and Let it Be in the theater during their original runs.

To this day I have long (past my shoulders) hair because of The Beatles. I fought for a Beatles haircut when I first saw them (around 8yo) and finally won the right to grow it long when I was 15.

 

[Jim517]

I wouldn't classify their music as rock. Soft rock, yes.

 

[John Sparks]

 

[cinemiracle]

The Beatles made history. John, Paul, George, and Ringo have sold more records than any other artist -- by a margin (estimates run toward 800 million albums and 1.6 billion singles). They altered the popular-music landscape, bringing rock almost to the level of "serious music." And the band changed the look of the culture (any long-haired man today owes the length of his locks to the Fab Four).

But how many here at HTF actually have seen the band in person? I have. The 8:30 show at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee on August 19, 1966 (during the "We Are More Popular Than Jesus" tour). That show was sold out, though the earlier concert at 4 p.m. was not. Despite the band's own complaints about how "terrible" they sounded (because of the screaming audiences) that year, I thought The Beatles sounded great. Too, just seeing them in person was almost awe-inspiring. Amazing, amazing band.

After The Beatles' August 29 show at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, it was too late. The Beatles only performed "Hey Jude" live during The David Frost Show in 1968, and put on that rooftop concert in London during the Get Back sessions in early 1969. Otherwise, you had no further chances to see them live.

But I did! How many else here at Home Theater Forum have seen The Beatles in person?

I saw the BEATLES in Wellington,New Zealand when they were there in 1964.They are still my favourite group.A HARD DAY'S NIGHT was the only film that played continuously for 24 hours on it's opening day in Wellington..Unfortunately the film failed ,and still does,to impress me. It was a sad and moving time when I stood outside the New York building in 1983, where John Lennon was murdered.

 

[David Norman]

Missed The Beatles by a couple years though I did have an uncle (12 years younger than my dad) who was a fan and would probably have taken me by the late 60's if they had ever ventured close enough and hadn't quit touring at that time.

I did happen to see Elvis live though mid 70's -- not quite the same on several fronts

 

[Jack Briggs]

Jim517: I must respectfully disagree. In fact, The Beatles pioneered hard rock, going as far back as their first album -- i.e., "I Saw Her Standing There" on Please Please Me. Then there are such examples as "You Can;t Do That" (A Hard Day's Night), "Ticket to Ride" (Help!), "Taxman" (Revolver), "Yer Blues" (The Beatles), and so on. Remember, The Beatles spanned genres. The same band that performed the numbers mentioned also did "Eleanor Rigby" and "She's Leaving Home" (for slow and maudlin) as well as "Tell Me Why" (if anything, a "show tune," from A Hard Day's Night). Pure and simple, The Beatles are the very definition of a rock band. The paradigm. The standard.

 

[The Drifter]

Too young to have ever seen The Beatles in concert (I was born in the early '70's), but I remember them from a young age because my parents had Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on Vinyl - and, I remember listening to this as a kid. They are definitely an iconic group, and one of my top five favorite rock bands of all time. I am glad they broke up when they did & didn't continue touring/putting together albums for years - i.e., they quit while they were ahead.

I do strongly prefer their later albums like Sgt. Peppers, The White Album, Rubber Soul, Abbey Road, Revolver, etc. to their earlier work.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Born late 60s so too young, they were no longer a band by the time I was old enough to have an interest. I have seen Paul, George, and Ringo on separate occasions though.

 

[BobO'Link]

.."Tell Me Why" (if anything, a "show tune," from A Hard Day's Night)...

While they didn't write it, the show tune would be "Till There Was You" from 1957's "The Music Man," covered and released on 1963's "With the Beatles" (or 1964's "Meet the Beatles for us in the US).

I can't wrap my head around "Tell Me Why" being a "show tune." It's more "doo-wop" to me. I'd equate show tune more with "Your Mother Should Know" (a music hall style song) from "Magical Mystery Tour" or "When I'm 64" from "Sgt. Pepper's."

 

[Jack Briggs]

Bob, The Beatles did more than one example of the various popular-music genres. "Tell Me Why" has a sort of "Broadway" feel to it.

And to the Drifter: I agree with you about The Beatles quitting "while they were ahead." That is how I always felt about it. Looking back on the phenomenon, it is hard to see how the band could have said or done much more. Who knows, though?

Congratulations to cinemiracle, for having also seen The Greatest in person. Nothing quite like it. ...

 

[BobO'Link]

An interesting "experiment" in what could have been the next Beatles album is to take the first true solo albums from John, Paul, and George, select 4 tracks from each with 2 from Ringo (there's a 1969 recording of a meeting with the group that Mark Lewisohn discovered which indicates George likely would have had opportunity to contribute up to 4 songs instead of his standard 2) -"Plastic Ono Band," "McCartney," and "All Things Must Pass." Mix them up so no one composer has 2 back to back songs. Boom... the next Beatles album - in theory.

 

[Tino]

Closest I got was I had tickets to Beatlemania at the Winter Garden theater in NYC.

But I messed up in school so my parents gave my tickets to my sister!!

And they are definitely rock and roll. Soft rock?? Seriously?

 

[Gary Seven]

No... too young. I did see Paul McCartney though a few decades back.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Bob, isn't volume two of Lewisohn's All Those Years Ago supposed to be released either this year or next? I am expecting the second volume to cover the band's career through the fall of 1966.

So, there's only one other member here who is old enough to have seen The Beatles in person? (Where's my Geritol?)

 

[BobO'Link]

Bob, isn't volume two of Lewisohn's All Those Years Ago supposed to be released either this year or next? I am expecting the second volume to cover the band's career through the fall of 1966.

According to his website:

It won’t be in 2020, or in 2021, or in 2022.

2023? No promises, but it’s possible.

So, there's only one other member here who is old enough to have seen The Beatles in person? (Where's my Geritol?)

 

[jcroy]

An interesting "experiment" in what could have been the next Beatles album is to take the first true solo albums from John, Paul, and George, select 4 tracks from each with 2 from Ringo (there's a 1969 recording of a meeting with the group that Mark Lewisohn discovered which indicates George likely would have had opportunity to contribute up to 4 songs instead of his standard 2) -"Plastic Ono Band," "McCartney," and "All Things Must Pass." Mix them up so no one composer has 2 back to back songs. Boom... the next Beatles album - in theory.

I didn't really listen to the post-Beatles solo careers stuff. Though I thought George Harrison's solo stuff sounded like it could have passed as possible unreleased Beatles songs.

I get the impression George Harrison possibly had a huge backlog of stuff from the 1960s, which was vetoed by the band and/or producer. A lot of that backlog most likely ended up on his first few solo albums.

 

[TravisR]

The closest I ever got was watching I Wanna Hold Your Hand.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Travis, I always kind of liked that movie.

Jeroy: When I first listened to McCartney, I had to keep reminding myself that it was Paul I was listening to and not The Beatles -- especially "Maybe I'm Amazed." Yet, much of the band's solo output did demonstrate how good the members were for each other. It was a creative spirit -- a force -- that we will never see again.

 

[Jeffrey D]

I guess I could Google this, but does anyone here know how many shows The Beatles performed?