portrait of this blog's author - by Stephen Blackman 2008

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

THE BEATLES 1965



In 1965 I was a precocious twelve year old school boy who got up early (5am) to do his paper round which I would do for the next few years. There were three TV channels ‘Ready Steady Go!’ was the first real pop music show I watched but I still watched Animal Magic with legend Johnny Morris on kids TV. 
The word "fuck" is spoken for the first time on British television by the theatre critic Kenneth Tynan so I knew something was going on! I can still recall my parent’s shock though my father (who did not ever swear) was somewhat mildly bemused. 
The Beatles had already won us over the year before with the film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ which we watched on holiday in Wales (Barmouth where there was a magnificent record shop, ‘Cob Records’ that became legendary and is still there) after the record shop we went every day to the corner milk shake bar. This year they released ‘Rubber Soul’ which made me really sit up and take notice (especially of girls!) Norwegian Wood told stories I wanted to happen to me but we hung around with a lovely girl called Michelle (who went on to marry my best friend) and her sister and I mooned over her and listened to the track that featured her name. George played sitar on the album and began studying with Ravi Shankar. Prior to this Donovan had been the highlight for me on Ready Steady Go singing ‘Universal Soldier’ by Buffy St. Marie which I thought was better than ‘Eve of Destruction’ by Barry McGuire! The Small Faces released Watcha Gonna Do About It and I determined I was going to be a mod. The Beatles ‘Day Tripper’ came out about a “naughty girl” and was thought to be about drugs though we didn’t then know it. The opening riff by George was the most exciting sound I had ever heard!

(* I just watched an ITV programme last night, well early hours of the morning at 3.00am, which featured hours of Beatles as they searched for the Nation’s Favourite Beatles No. One single [Hey Jude] but Shelia E noted to check the drum intro from Ringo on Day Tripper the drum rolls he uses are FAST!)





The Beatles perform ‘Rain’ and ‘Paperback Writer’ on BBC TV show 'Top Of The Pops’ in London on 16th June 1966 and by then when 'HELP!' their second film came out, I definitely knew something was going on, something special, something a part of me. Deep down. Something was definitely happening . . . . .
definitely  . . . . 
The Beatles perform ‘Rain’ and ‘Paperback Writer’ on BBC TV show 'Top Of The Pops’ in London on 16th June 1966 and I knew something was going on, something special, something a part of me. Deep down. Something was definitely happening . . . . . 










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