The Beatles confessions: an anthology

[Obsessed]

I just watched the last episode of the Beatles documentary and enjoyed it surprisingly immensely. I am posting this - targeted towards boomers who grew up with the Beatles, but we’re not big fans like myself. Others can join in as well of course. I was woken up by high winds at 3:00 AM suffering from the classic symptoms of my booster yesterday, so I assume (and you should too) this thread idea is drug induced.

I’m not a Beatle hater, I was into Dick Dale, Yardbirds, Stones, and Jimi, but across the hall was my Beatlemania sister that played every single album seemingly constantly. So, I know every song chronologically and can probably name each song in two notes.

My first Beatles memory was the Ed Sullivan Show. We were very limited in our TV watching, but the whole family watched the show weekly. I was nine years old.

And so my thoughts were to confess my Beatle experiences.

Confessions:

1. I was still nine when I went across the street from our apartment to the toy store in Daly City, CA (S.F. working class neighborhood). They had a huge display of Beatle wigs, Beatle shoes, and photos - all in front of a life size cardboard cut-out of the Fab Four. This is when I realized they were a big deal. My sister’s swooning over Paul explained all of the screaming that I saw on the news.
2. We then moved down the peninsula to Palo Alto. I developed some close friends through Cub Scouts and my best friend was all caught up into the Beatles. So one day we snuck off on our bicycles to try to get a glimpse of the Beatles staying in the swankiest hotel nearby while prepping for their Candlestick Park concert. Because of the crowds out front and we were still short eleven year olds, we decided out best chance was around back at the servant/shipping dock area. Sure enough, a limo pulled up and we got to see them dash into the car waving to screaming fans. My sister hit me for not inviting her along.
3. One of the first songs I attempted to learn as a guitar player was, “Good Day Sunshine”. Learning from a friend, I had to buy a capo, but after a few days, I realized this just did not speak to me. But I did learn all about capos. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was a blues guy through and through.
4. I realized the sudden loss of John, but I had just started my career, so I was too busy to reflect on it at the time, but later realized what an impact he had as a song writer.
5. Finally, as the rooftop concert ended in the documentary, a caption was put up on the screen saying that this was their last public concert and a tear developed in the corner of my eye and ran down my cheek.

My Beatle confessions.

 

[Tarkus60]

I was a few years too young. But I do remember the Ed Sullivan show. My best friend at the time, his sister and my sister were obsessed with the Beatles. We were way advanced on rock'n roll thanks to our older sisters.
I cried the day they broke up...did not understand .....
I cried the day John was shot.....how could anyone kill John Lennon......did not understand.
I watched the documentary....oh such joyous memories! Teared up more than once.

You can love or hate the Beatles.
But the impact they had on the majority of 60's youth will never be again....

 

[Chiogtr4x]

My Beatles confession:

Don't know how I even got the album, but around 1967 ( I'm 9) I actually traded a Beatles album I don't remember which for the Beach Boys Little Deuce Coupe album no regrets it's a great album

 

[Obsessed]

I was a few years too young. But I do remember the Ed Sullivan show. My best friend at the time, his sister and my sister were obsessed with the Beatles. We were way advanced on rock'n roll thanks to our older sisters.
I cried the day they broke up...did not understand .....
I cried the day John was shot.....how could anyone kill John Lennon......did not understand.
I watched the documentary....oh such joyous memories! Teared up more than once.

You can love or hate the Beatles.
But the impact they had on the majority of 60's youth will never be again....

Excellent. Thanks for adding to this anthology.

 

[Obsessed]

My Beatles confession:

Don't know how I even got the album, but around 1967 ( I'm 9) I actually traded a Beatles album I don't remember which for the Beach Boys Little Deuce Coupe album no regrets it's a great album

That’s pretty funny. I had that Beach Boys album mainly because I was a surfer and a gear head. Fun songs.

 

[BerkshireDuncan]

As much as I dearly love the Beatles- and know we're supposed to 'admire the art, not the artist' I just can't get over my antipathy towards John Lennon. Yes Paul went on to write Mull of Kintyre and Ebony and Ivory (Ugh!) but as a whole his post-Beatles body of work greatly outshone John's solo efforts. Many Brits struggle to understand the high regard he was held in Stateside, both professionally or personally.

 

[Telekarster]

Revolution:
They played most of the popular Beatles songs so often, it was like you couldn't escape em! Got pretty wearing for me, frankly. However, I had the 45 of Revolution and played that puppy till it wore out! I didn't really understand/nor read any message etc. in it... nor did I care if it had one. I still don't care about that sort of thing. I just really liked the tones and rythem in that song So, all in all, I'd have to say I am a "selective" Beatles fan of sorts but, then again, that sorta goes with most others too i.e. never been a die hard fan of anyone, other than Hendrix perhaps

Lennon:
I was at a friends house the night Lennon was shot. We were in the kitchen, sitting at the table, as his Mom was making us something to eat. She had a little TV on the counter listening to the news (owning a small TV like that was quite a novelty item back then BTW). All of a sudden a "Breaking News Report" interupted the normal brodcast to announce he had been shot. The moment they said that, she turned to the TV and promptly fainted... and I mean FOR REAL fainted, and collapsed!!! It was the first and only time I've ever actually seen someone really faint.

We were stunned and in shock both at the news, and to see her collapse, we were frozen! His Dad immediately rushed into the kitchen, having heard her collapse (as it made a pretty big thump), and took her in his arms. We were still in shock. She would come back in a few minutes, all the while my friend and I were still stunned. She sobbed and sobbed, and we sobbed with her while his Father just looked on with a sort of "dazed" look on his face. To this day I get a lump in my throat thinking on that moment, even now as I type this.

RIP John... I wasn't your biggest fan, but I appreciate your contributions to music. You are missed.

 

[Boreas]

As much as I dearly love the Beatles- and know we're supposed to 'admire the art, not the artist' I just can't get over my antipathy towards John Lennon. Yes Paul went on to write Mull of Kintyre and Ebony and Ivory (Ugh!) but as a whole his post-Beatles body of work greatly outshone John's solo efforts. Many Brits struggle to understand the high regard he was held in Stateside, both professionally or personally.

Comparing Lennon and McCartney is fraught with subjectivity. Apples (no pun intended) and oranges. Or perhaps a better analogy would be chocolate and peanut butter. Each have their strong and weak points, but together they are tremendous.

Perhaps we in the States hold individuals with a tougher row to hoe in higher regard. Lennon clearly had deep and early emotional/psychological issues that would wax and wane throughout his life. And he struggled with substance abuse for much of his short life. McCartney may have been much more productive, but Lennon was visceral. And he was only given 40 years upon the earth as opposed to 80. Perhaps being murdered on our turf just as he seemed to be turning his life around casts him in a more forgiving light.

Just a couple quick reasons off the top of my head.

 

[StrangerNY]

Due to being at the perfect age, I was right down in it when Beatlemania hit.

I remember even before the Sullivan appearance, there was a pictorial feature about their popularity in England in Life magazine. I was awed by the effect they seemed to have on teen girls in the UK, and one photo - of them on stage with Ringo on an impossibly tall drum riser - pretty much blew my young mind. I had to know more about this band.

I'd already been trying to learn how to play guitar for about a year already, plinking out Beach Boys songs on a tenor guitar that my dad had lying around. But once I saw the Fabs on Sullivan, the urge to learn kicked into overdrive, and I saved my money and bought a Teisco electric for 35 bucks at a local record store. Didn't get an amp until months later, but that was besides the point.

---

The night Lennon got shot...I was sharing a house with a couple of band members, and we heard the news from a friend who lived in NYC who found out about it pretty much right away, before it even hit the news. (This same friend clued us in that John was recording Double Fantasy well before it became public knowledge, and he swore us to silence about it.)

Our drummer at the time was a little crazy (we gave him the stage name 'Mickey Mental'), but he was completely straight-edge, no drink or drugs. Later that night, he showed up unannounced at our door with two 6 packs of beer, which he helped us drink while we watched the news coverage. I'll never forget that cold, dark, rainy night.

- D

 

[Chiogtr4x]

That’s pretty funny. I had that Beach Boys album mainly because I was a surfer and a gear head. Fun songs.

Two things:

1) That album kind of imprinted on me what solid 4/4 R&R ( and rhythm and lead guitar) sounded like

( happens when you are 9-10, love music, but you only have 6 records- you listen to each a million times)

2) My wife HATES the Beach Boys!

 

[Old Plank]

I'm wondering if this thing is ever going to be viewable without subscribing to the Disney+ channel .... movie theater (too lengthy I guess), DVD, other streamers ... ?

I was fortunate to see the Let It Be movie in a theater, back in '74 or'75 in Denver ... except that it left me pretty bummed out with the less-than-happy atmosphere portrayed. My beloved sunny Beatles, human and getting sick of each other, what?!?

 

[telemnemonics]

I was a gun toting only child hippy kid with a single Mom who was a journalist party girl.
Music was everywhere all the time, dragged to parties and bars, always with adults except in school, where I didn't relate to kids much at all.
I knew lots of guitar players because they were everywhere (singing and strumming acoustic), and they didn't get the screaming girls like on TV but I was seriously in love with Annette who soon was dating one of the guitar player guys, must have been 5-7 years older than me. I asked her to go for a walk at an adult party and the adults g=heard me, they burst out laughing. But she went for that walk!
No association with bands being the way to get girls.
My major concern along with wanting to get close to certain older girls, was what to do about the Vietnam war draft.
I was shooting critters so not a CO, and in 1966 or so I was pretty sure I was going to die in Vietnam.
Music that compelled me was either heavy sounding or grappled with heavy subject matter.
Beatles music did neither really, so hardly interested me, though it was nice enough for background.
Love love love and hand holding was kind of myopic?
Later of course they tried to get heavy and also to grapple with a society in turmoil.
But that was pretty much as they fell apart.

Despite my beatles length hair and John Lennon glasses from the junk shop with prescription lenses, I was just not into that band, and did not associate them with the culture or issues I felt were kind of huge in my life.

 

[telemnemonics]

I'm wondering if this thing is ever going to be viewable without subscribing to the Disney+ channel .... movie theater (too lengthy I guess), DVD, other streamers ... ?

I was fortunate to see the Let It Be movie in a theater, back in '74 or'75 in Denver ... except that it left me pretty bummed out with the less-than-happy atmosphere portrayed. My beloved sunny Beatles, human and getting sick of each other, what?!?

A member in the doc thread stated that he found a source to watch if for free.
I was going to PM him but would have to look back and see who it was.
I DO want to watch it or at least some of it and my wife does as well.
Also consider the introductory Disney membership offer for a month then cancel.

 

[BerkshireDuncan]

Comparing Lennon and McCartney is fraught with subjectivity. Apples (no pun intended) and oranges. Or perhaps a better analogy would be chocolate and peanut butter. Each have their strong and weak points, but together they are tremendous.

Perhaps we in the States hold individuals with a tougher row to hoe in higher regard. Lennon clearly had deep and early emotional/psychological issues that would wax and wane throughout his life. And he struggled with substance abuse for much of his short life. McCartney may have been much more productive, but Lennon was visceral. And he was only given 40 years upon the earth as opposed to 80. Perhaps being murdered on our turf just as he seemed to be turning his life around casts him in a more forgiving light.

Just a couple quick reasons off the top of my head.

Yes, absolutely agreed about their partnership- and some interesting points. I think it's fair to say the (non-music) press here pretty much turned on him in the 70's and got busy painting Paul as the National Treasure- and John as the villain.

 

[Area51]

I found my parents Beatles albums when I was a wee boy. I've always been a fan. Abby Road is still one of my favorite albums.

I haven't watched the documentary yet, I'll get to it. But I'm not sure what to believe. I'm sure the boys (mostly) acted different when they knew the cameras were on them. Just saying I'm taking some of the things I read about the documentary with a grain of salt.

 

[nojazzhere]

I just watched the last episode of the Beatles documentary and enjoyed it surprisingly immensely. I am posting this - targeted towards boomers who grew up with the Beatles, but we’re not big fans like myself. Others can join in as well of course. I was woken up by high winds at 3:00 AM suffering from the classic symptoms of my booster yesterday, so I assume (and you should too) this thread idea is drug induced.

I’m not a Beatle hater, I was into Dick Dale, Yardbirds, Stones, and Jimi, but across the hall was my Beatlemania sister that played every single album seemingly constantly. So, I know every song chronologically and can probably name each song in two notes.

My first Beatles memory was the Ed Sullivan Show. We were very limited in our TV watching, but the whole family watched the show weekly. I was nine years old.

And so my thoughts were to confess my Beatle experiences.

Confessions:

1. I was still nine when I went across the street from our apartment to the toy store in Daly City, CA (S.F. working class neighborhood). They had a huge display of Beatle wigs, Beatle shoes, and photos - all in front of a life size cardboard cut-out of the Fab Four. This is when I realized they were a big deal. My sister’s swooning over Paul explained all of the screaming that I saw on the news.
2. We then moved down the peninsula to Palo Alto. I developed some close friends through Cub Scouts and my best friend was all caught up into the Beatles. So one day we snuck off on our bicycles to try to get a glimpse of the Beatles staying in the swankiest hotel nearby while prepping for their Candlestick Park concert. Because of the crowds out front and we were still short eleven year olds, we decided out best chance was around back at the servant/shipping dock area. Sure enough, a limo pulled up and we got to see them dash into the car waving to screaming fans. My sister hit me for not inviting her along.
3. One of the first songs I attempted to learn as a guitar player was, “Good Day Sunshine”. Learning from a friend, I had to buy a capo, but after a few days, I realized this just did not speak to me. But I did learn all about capos. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was a blues guy through and through.
4. I realized the sudden loss of John, but I had just started my career, so I was too busy to reflect on it at the time, but later realized what an impact he had as a song writer.
5. Finally, as the rooftop concert ended in the documentary, a caption was put up on the screen saying that this was their last public concert and a tear developed in the corner of my eye and ran down my cheek.

My Beatle confessions.

Might help some to check out this thread, as to The Beatles' significance.
https://www.tdpri.com/threads/in-keeping-with-recurring-beatles-threads.1087838/#post-11076533

 

[Bluesboy3]

My confession: When I was a young lad I believe around 5 or 6 (born 1964), a couple of the very first albums I ever played on my aunt's console record player was Let It Be, and Ram. She also had Carole King Tapestry, which I listened to. I also recall a compilation album that had Herman's Hermits and other stuff like that. I loved Let It Be and Ram. To this day I do. I can say in all sincerity that listening to those albums is the reason why I got into music. The first album I ever owned was Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and that set me up for the rest of my life. Still listening to all of those. I remember really digging the photos on the front of Let It Be. The hair and beards were very appealing to me. They just seemed so cool. I had no idea what they were even about....

 

[StephenDeBoard]

My Beatles confession: I started listening to The Beatles because I loved The Monkees songs first.

 

[StrangerNY]

A member in the doc thread stated that he found a source to watch if for free.
I was going to PM him but would have to look back and see who it was.
I DO want to watch it or at least some of it and my wife does as well.
Also consider the introductory Disney membership offer for a month then cancel.

I saw that link and thought it was for the 'Let It Be' film, not 'Get Back.'

- D

 

[telemnemonics]

I saw that link and thought it was for the 'Let It Be' film, not 'Get Back.'

- D

The comment I saw had no link, just claimed he found a free source and it seemed to be for get back.