On the evening of July 2nd, 1963, the Beatles played one of their classic BBC radio sessions, recording a smooth, carefree cover version of Elvis Presley’s “That’s All Right (Mama)” at London’s Maida Vale Studios. If the Fab Four seemed a might bit self-assured on the recording, they had well and truly earned it: only […]
50 Years of Beatles
50 Years of Beatles: It’s Getting Better All the Time
Five decades ago, as the Beatles prepared to embark upon their first world tour, the unthinkable happened when Ringo Starr suddenly fell ill, thrusting one man from virtually anonymity into international stardom in the blink of an eye. On the morning of June 3, 1964, the Beatles’ lovable drummer collapsed during a photo session for […]
50 Years of Beatles: Winning over the Nonbelievers
In the wake of the Beatles’ triumphant appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” on Feb. 9, 1964, the band spent the next several months consolidating their fame, breaking sales records and gearing up for their first world tour. One of the key elements in their coming global onslaught was the production of their first feature […]
50 Years of Beatles: John Lennon’s “In His Own Write”
ALTOONA, Pa. — After the Beatles’ breakup in 1969, the former band mates would enjoy variously successful solo careers, collectively scoring 20 No. 1 hits in the United States and the United Kingdom between 1970 and 2002. But in March 1964 — long before the Plastic Ono Band, Wings, the Traveling Wilburys, and Ringo Starr’s […]
50 Years of Beatles: “I Had a Hard Day Last Night”
Penn State Laureate Kenneth Womack’s essay series, “50 Years of Beatles,” continues with a look at “Ringo-isms” and malaprops On March 2, 1964, the Beatles began principal photography for their first feature film, which would eventually be known as “A Hard Day’s Night,” under the direction of Richard Lester. As it happens, the movie had originally been […]