Sep 13 2009
It Happened This Week …
Ahhh, and what a week it was, yardbirds …
On Sept. 15, 1961 (a mere 48 years ago!), a young band from Hawthorne, California called The Pendletones had their first real recording session in L.A. Due to the big coastal craze at the time, the band does a small, self-penned song called “Surfin’”.
When it finally hit the local charts, everyone started callin’ them The Beach Boys.
The rest is history …
One year later, Brian Epstein brought a band he managed to do an interview with Peter Jones of the London Daily Mirror. Jones did the interview, but concluded that “The Beatles they are a ‘nothing’ group.”
But one year and one day later, the Fab Four released their hit, She Loves You (b/w I’ll Get You) in the states … but on Swan Records. But it didn’t make the charts until a year later, when the Invasion was in full swing (it was already #1 in the UK).
By the way: Remember The Beatles’ fab tune, A Hard Day’s Night (from the movie of the same name)? Have ya ever wonder why no one’s been able to get exactly the same sound the band had when they play the song’s opening chord?
It’s because they had all three guitars (George was on 12-string here) and Sir George Martin’s piano playing the same specific note at the same time! And, of course, ya had The Beatles’ inimitable attack!
Gettin’ back to the timeline: On September 15, 1964, John was interrupted in the midst of his song by a Cleveland (Ohio) police inspector took his mic and asked the band to leave the stage for fifteen minutes so they could calm down the screaming crowd!
Two days later, the Fab Four played a gig in Kansas — on what was supposed to be their day off! The pay wasn’t bad, though: They got $150,000 for the show (figure that’d be almost five times as much in today’s dollar!)
Okay … that’s it for this brief post (but wait’ll ya read the next one. It’s about how The Beatles helped bring down Communism [and, no, I’m not joking!]). Until sometime during the next 24 — and at all other times — you can catch the double-E (aka Chuck Hinson) on Facebook, Twitter and Great Internet Newspaper™ (yeah, matter of fact I do get around!).
So, until next time, remember …
keep your eyes on the skies, your feet on the ground, your heart with the music …
and I’ll see you on the flip side …
