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The Beatles 1964 First Tour Of The United States – The Photos And The Mania

7th February 2014 marked 50 years since The Beatles first toured the United States. The band were a massive hit . On 9 February 1964 the Fab Four made their first live US television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show . At 8 P.M, 73 million Americans saw John Paul, George and Ringo play.

On 11 February 1964 The Beatles’ performed in their first US concert, a show at Washington Coliseum, Washington, D.C. Next day, they performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall, New York. They squeezed in another performance on the Sullivan show before returning to the UK on 22 February 1964.

The Beatles leave London airport in 1964. From left: John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. (AP Photo)

The Beatles leave London airport in 1964. From left: John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and George Harrison. (AP Photo)

ARRIVING IN NEW YORK

Britain’s Beatles make a windswept arrival in New York on Feb. 7, 1964, as they step down from the plane that brought them from London, at Kennedy airport. From left to right, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison (AP Photo)

The Beatles arrive at New York’s Kennedy Airport Feb. 7, 1964 for their first U.S. appearance. From left are: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. (AP Photo)

Police man the barricades outside New York’s Plaza Hotel, on Feb. 7, 1964, as Beatle maniacs push forward in hopes of a view of Britain’s singing sensations after their arrival for an American tour. (AP Photo)

Police enforce the barricades outside New York’s Plaza Hotel as fans push forward in hopes of a view of The Beatles after their arrival for an American tour on February 7, 1964. (AP Photo)

The Beatles are shown during a news conference in Forest Hills, N.Y., Feb. 1964. (AP Photo)

The British rock and roll group The Beatles are seen during their first U.S. tour in 1964. The band members, from left to right, are George Harrison, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. (AP Photo)

The Beatles meet reporters at Kennedy Airport in New York City, Feb. 7, 1964 on their arrival from London for their first American tour. The band members, from left, are, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and John Lennon. (AP Photo)

The Beatles wave to fans assembled below their Plaza Hotel window after they arrived in New York City on Feb. 7, 1964 for a short tour of the United States. From left to right are, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and George Harrison. (AP Photo)

The four members of Britain’s young singing group, the Beatles, stand in front of the microphones in the press room of Kennedy International Airport today during press conference following their arrival, February 7, 1964. From left: John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney. (AP Photo)

The Beatles face the media on arrival at the John F. Kennedy ariport in New York City. Feb. 7, 1964. The British rock and roll group was also greeted by a screaming crowd estimated at 5,000. (AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi)

The Beatles walk around New York’s Central Park, Feb. 10, 1964. From left: Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr. (AP Photo)

Three members of the Beatles pose on a stack of rowboats in New York’s Central Park, Feb. 10, 1964. From top: Ringo Starr, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. (AP Photo)

John Lennon, center, holds his forehead as 5-year-old Debbie Fyall, of London, England, sits on his shoulders, in New York, Central Park, USA, February 8, 1964. The other two members of the Beatles are Paul McCartney, left, and Ringo Starr, right. (AP Photo/The Beatles)

ED SULLIVAN

Three of the four member of the British group the Beatles are shown with Ed Sullivan before their live television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in New York City, Feb. 10, 1964. From left are, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, partial view, George Harrison and Sullivan. (AP Photo)

American fans in New York react during the Beatles’ concert on the “Ed Sullivan Show”, Feb. 8, 1964. (AP Photo)

The Beatles, minus an ailing George Harrison, perform on the “Ed Sullivan Show”, Feb. 8, 1964. In front, left to right: Paul McCartney, Neil Aspinall (standing in for Harrison), and John Lennon. On drums is Ringo Starr. (AP Photo)

British rock band the Beatles are shown during rehearsals on the set of the “Ed Sullivan Show” in New York, Feb. 9, 1964. On drums is Ringo Starr, bassist is Paul McCartney, left, and guitarist is John Lennon. (AP Photo)

Paul McCartney, bassist for the Beatles, is shown on the set of the Ed Sullivan Show, Feb. 1964. (AP Photo)

Ed Sullivan, center, stands with The Beatles during a rehearsal for the British group’s first American appearance, on the “Ed Sullivan Show,” in New York. Feb. 9th, 1964. From left: Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Sullivan, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The rock ‘n’ roll band known as “The Fab Four” was seen by 70 million viewers. “Beatlemania” swept the charts with twenty No.1 hits and more than 100 million records sold. The Beatles broke up in 1970. (AP Photo)

The Beatles perform on the CBS “Ed Sullivan Show” in New York, in this Feb. 9, 1964, file photo. From left, front, are Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon. Ringo Starr plays drums in the background. The Beatles’ “Love” album is being released on Nov. 21, and is a thorough reinterpretation of their work. (AP Photo/FILE)

WASHINGTON – AN ‘I WAS THERE’ MOMENT

The Beatles perform at the Coliseum in Washington, D.C., Feb. 12, 1964, during their first American tour. The British band members are, in foreground, Paul McCartney and John Lennon; Ringo Starr on drums; and George Harrison on guitar, far right. (AP Photo)

Surrounded by amplifiers and treading jumping beans underfoot, the Beatles swing into their routine during a show at the Coliseum in Washington, Feb. 11, 1964. From left: lead guitarist George Harrison, bassist Paul McCartney, rhythm guitarist John Lennon, and drummer Ringo Starr. The beans were thrown by excited fans. (AP Photo)

DRINKS WITH THE KNOBS

The centre of attraction, four boys from Liverpool enjoy themselves as they attend a charity ball at the British Embassy, in Washington, on Feb. 11, 1964. They are the Beatles , from left: Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and John Lennon, currently raising a storm on their first tour of the United States. (AP Photo)

NEW YORK GIG

Police security is on hand for the arrival of The Beatles as guitarist George Harrison leads the way from a taxi-cab to Carnegie Hall’s stagedoor on W. 56th St. in New York City on Feb. 12, 1964 . About 2,000 fans are gathered outside the concert hall to catch a glimpse of the British rock and roll band on their first U.S. tour. (AP Photo)

The Beatles, from left, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, take a fake blow from Cassius Clay while visiting the heavyweight contender at his training camp in Miami Beach, Fla. Tuesday February 18,1964.

Boxer Cassius Clay lifts Ringo Starr, one of the Beatles into the air while the singers visited Clay’s camp in Miami Beach, Fla. February, 18th, 1964. Others are, from left: Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and John Lennon. (AP Photo)

Ringo Starr of The Beatles Rock group shown on the beach in Florida, February 15, 1964. (AP Photo)

WELCOME HOME

British pop group the Beatles wave as they arrive at London Airport, England, in 1964 after their successful U.S. tour. (AP Photo)

A Beatle fan claws at a metal fence as she welcomes the pop group on their arrival at London Airport, England on Feb 22, 1964. Some 5,000 people, many of whom had waited overnight, were at the airport. (AP Photo)

Four thousand fans of The Beatles at London Airport to greet them on their return from a tour of the United States.

Paul McCartney looks up and acknowledges the waves and screams shortly after arriving with the other three Beatles at London Airport from America.

Fans press forward to the restraining linked arms of a chain of extra policemen on duty at London Airport when the Beatles returned from a tour of the United States.

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When the Beatles Played Their First U.S. Concert

The Beatles made their U.S. concert debut on Feb. 11, 1964 in Washington, D.C., two days after their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show . They'd arrived from New York by train at Union Station in the middle of a snowstorm.

The show took place at the Washington Coliseum, about a mile north of the U.S. Capitol building. The seating plan for the arena was in its configuration for boxing, with the Beatles setting up on the unroped ring in the middle. This meant that the group were only facing 25 percent of the 8,092 fans in attendance at any given time. In between songs, they moved the amplifiers, microphones and Ringo Starr 's drum riser one-quarter turn clockwise.

Former Vice President Al Gore, who was 15 years old and the son of a U.S. Senator, attended the concert. "The acoustics in the arena combined with the absolute frenzy of enthusiasm made it virtually impossible to understand a single word that they sang," he told the Washington Post . "You had to listen carefully to get the general flow of the song, and of course everybody knew all the words prior to the concert. We all loved their music, but clearly there were a lot of people in that crowd who loved it even more than I did because they couldn’t stop screaming."

READ MORE: How the Beatles' 'Ed Sullivan Debut' Inspired 25 Future Rockers

But it wasn't just the screaming of the fans that affected the group. "We had been asked somewhere what is your favorite sweet, and we said jelly babies," said Paul McCartney . "So the fans took to throwing them onstage, and this had reached Washington. In England, they’re soft and always in the shape of babies. What do you call them? Jelly beans. They’re hard. They stung, and we’re playing in the round, and they’re being thrown from everywhere. It was very unsettling. After that, we said the time has come for us to tell people we hate these damn things. They were only trying to be cute; throw the cute bits at the cute boys, that will be fun. But if you caught one of those in the eye, that was none too pleasant."

What Did the Beatles Play at Their First U.S. Concert?

In the 35-minute set, the Beatles played 12 songs : "Roll Over, Beethoven," "From Me to You," "I Saw Her Standing There," "This Boy," "All My Loving," "I Wanna Be Your Man," "Please Please Me," "Till There Was You," "She Loves You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Twist and Shout" and "Long Tall Sally." Footage of "I Saw Her Standing There," "I Wanna Be Your Man" and "She Loves You" were featured in the Maysles' documentary The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit .

Following the concert, they attended a reception thrown in their honor at the British Embassy that didn't go particularly well.

"In the early-'60s there was still a huge disparity between people from the North of England and 'people from Embassies,' Ringo said in Anthology . "But we went. God knows why. Maybe because we'd suddenly become ambassadors and they wanted to see us, and I think Brian [Epstein] liked the idea that it was big time."

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The Beatles' record-breaking 1964 North American tour

January 28, 2014 / 4:23 PM EST / CBS News

This piece by guest author Chuck Gunderson is part of a series of essays to mark the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' first American television appearance on CBS's "The Ed Sullivan Show." It culminates with CBS News, 50 Years Later...The Beatles at The Ed Sullivan Theater: Presented by Motown The Musical , a live, interactive multimedia event at The Ed Sullivan Theater on Feb. 9.

In February 1964, after finally achieving a number-one hit in America, the Fab Four came to the United States with high hopes, performing on the widely popular Ed Sullivan Show both in New York City and Miami Beach and playing concerts at Carnegie Hall and the Washington Coliseum. In just 15 short days, the Beatles conquered America.

Complete coverage of The Beatles: 50 Years Later

All told, the first official tour of North America would have the group play a staggering 32 shows in 26 venues in 24 cities in just 33 days. In the end they would walk away richer by $1 million -- in today's dollars, about $7.5 million. GAC's Weiss marveled, "In the more than 15 years that I have been in this business, I do not know of any attraction that has come close to this sort of money in so short a tour."

Elaborate plans were drawn up to transport the Fab Four to hotels and venues. These included the use of ambulances, police paddy wagons, armored trucks, and, in one case an empty fish truck. Hucksters as well as managers of fine hotels gathered up bed linens, pillowcases and even the carpet the Beatles walked on to be cut and sold off to fans that were eager to get their hands on anything the Beatles touched.

Perhaps no musical act before or since will ever rival the Beatles on their groundbreaking tour of 1964. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr would not only leave an indelible impression on their fans in the United States and Canada, but also leave the continent with devotees hungering for more.

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Win tickets to the live event at the Ed Sullivan Theater on Feb. 9

Chuck Gunderson is author of the upcoming book, “Some Fun Tonight,” an epic two-volume set on the history of the Beatles' North American tours of 1964 to 1966.

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clock This article was published more than 10 years ago

The Beatles’ first U.S. concert: An oral history of the day the Fab Four conquered D.C.

On Feb. 11, 1964, Beatlemania blasted Washington — all shrieks and Arthur haircuts and songs people couldn't quite make out.

Two nights after their hysteria-inducing welcome-to-America appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," the Beatles played their first U.S. concert at the Washington Coliseum. With "I Want to Hold Your Hand" sitting atop the American Billboard chart, 8,092 people crowded into the arena near Union Station and witnessed the band perform a dozen songs that changed everything.

"It was one of the most exciting live performances the Beatles ever gave," says Beatles historian Bruce Spizer, who has studied footage of the concert at the long-defunct Coliseum. "And it gave them great confidence that they indeed could conquer America."

Here's the tale of the historic 1964 visit, as told by some of the people who lived it.

John B. Lynn, son of Harry Lynn, who owned the Coliseum : My father got the call asking if he'd be interested in having the Beatles. He, of course, had never heard of them. But he said yes. He brought home a box of Beatles albums and singles to give out, and my brother and I became the most popular people in school.

Paul McCartney : We'd seen a lot of British stars come back from America with their tails between their legs. We made a promise to ourselves to not go until we had a No. 1. We were so excited to be madly popular in America, which was to us the Holy Grail because every shred of music we ever loved came from there. It was euphoric, and now we were heading to Washington on the train, which was very glamorous. And to cap it off, there was that beautiful snow.

Bill Eppridge, former contract photographer for Life magazine who died in 2013 : We were going to fly down from New York, but a big snowstorm hit Washington. The Beatles reserved a couple of cars on the train and got tickets for the press traveling with them. I couldn't have had a better time. We all liked them. They were always looking for something to do. They had a race up and down the car, and two of them went up and over the seats and two of them crawled in the baggage racks. And then they grabbed the waiters' uniforms and served drinks.

Albert Maysles, documentary filmmaker ("What's Happening! The Beatles In the USA," "The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit") : All kinds of funny things happened on the train. They were behaving for the camera. Ringo carried some camera bags and worked his way through the coach. They were strangers in a new land, enjoying that kind of fresh experience. I remember a child meeting Ringo and the conversation they had, which was so endearing.

Linda Binns Liles, train passenger on Feb. 11, 1964 : My family was riding back [to Richmond], and we happened to be in the only car that got to see the Beatles. They walked through and gave autographs. I was like, "Well, I got two of their autographs; I think I need all four." I was 9 years old, not a crazy teenager — when we stopped at stations, there were teenagers jumping up and down, trying to look in the windows — so I was able to get back there. I introduced myself to Ringo Starr and promptly sat down and started talking with him. "You went to New York for the first time? So did I." We had a normal conversation. I was sure he was interested in my fourth-grade teacher as much as I was interested in what he was doing. Paul McCartney, who had me calling him Uncle Paul, asked me if I was coming to their D.C. concert, and I was like, "No, I've got to go to school tomorrow." I was perfectly serious.

Lynn : My father wasn't in the habit of meeting his acts when they arrived in town. But he met the Beatles. He had been stationed in Liverpool during the war, so I think he might have felt some connection to them. He didn't expect the crowd — especially on a snowy day.

Maysles : There was an enormous crowd waiting when we got to Union Station.

McCartney : It was unbelievable, a great sort of validation of the whole thing. It was like, "Yeah, look! Everywhere we're going in America, it's happening!"

Marsha Albert, who persuaded WWDC-FM deejay Carroll James to play the Beatles on Washington radio in late 1963 : There was no school that day because of the big snowstorm. So I went down to Union Station and WWDC got me onto the platform when the train came in. The Beatles got into one car and I got into another. Somehow, I was in the limo with John Lennon's wife and George Harrison's sister.

Tommy Roe, "Sheila" singer : In 1963, I was booked in England with Chris Montez, and the Beatles were a featured act on our tour. It was like Elvis Presley all over again. Brian Epstein, the Beatles' manager, had called my manager and put me on the Washington, D.C., show. I was really happy to do the show with them. We were all staying at the Shoreham Hotel, and I tried to hang out with the boys there, but it was pandemonium. I'd already experienced it in England, so I knew it was going to happen in America.

Phil Hollywood, former general manager of the Shoreham Hotel : We sealed off an area of the hotel so they wouldn't be harassed or bothered. The elevator operators were instructed not to go to their floor, and Capitol Records provided security in the stairwell. But the kids were roaming around, trying to get to the Beatles. It was nonstop. They tried to bribe a maid for a maid's uniform and some of them laid down in the elevators and said they weren't getting off until they went to the Beatles' floor. Security lifted them off the elevator and told them to calm down. We brought the band up to the Presidential Suite in a service elevator. They were very polite, down-to-earth boys, but I think they were overwhelmed by what was happening.

Al Gore : The incredible phenomenon built on itself. The "Ed Sullivan" appearance just prior to their arrival in Washington was electrifying. We could scarcely believe the Beatles were coming to D.C.

Reed Hundt, former Federal Communications Commission chairman : Everybody our age knew about them. How could you not? Gore and I were juniors at St. Albans. We weren't even 16 until the next month, and the Beatles were singing, "she was just 17." We were thinking, "Well, that's too old for us."

A lbert : I ended up at the arena, where the Beatles were having a press conference. I went out to the radio station trailer where they were doing an interview with Carroll James. He called me in and told them that I was instrumental in getting him to play their record, so they thanked me. I didn't really say much. They were still in the process of being interviewed. Plus, I was 15 years old. You know what it's like to be 15.

Mike Mitchell, photographer : I was 18 years old and was a burgeoning freelance photographer. When I heard the Beatles for the first time, on the radio in my '55 Chevrolet, it was a magical moment. I realized immediately that I wanted to be a part of whatever was going to happen here with their concert. I called a freelance client and asked if they could get me press credentials, which they were able to do. But they had no desire for photographs of the Beatles in their magazine, because they were part of the "grown-up" press establishment. I was on my own, to do whatever I wanted to. I spent most of the day at the Coliseum.

Ron Oberman, former Washington Star music columnist : They had a press conference at the Coliseum before the show, with all four Beatles in a boxing ring that became the stage. I asked George if he had a girlfriend. He said: "Yes, you, love." I was doing one of the first regular columns on rock in a newspaper, and I was only 20, 21. The older people at the press conference didn't get it.

McCartney : The press conferences were quite funny. It was always: "Hey, Beatles, is that hair real, or is it a wig?" Well, that's a very good question, isn't it? How dumb are you? But we didn't mind it at all. We expected it. It was a completely different world. It's not like now where you'll find all these kids writing for the Internet. It was elderly, balding gentlemen who smoked a lot — grown-ups looking disapprovingly at the children having too much fun. We knew it wasn't hard to beat that kind of cynicism. It was like a chess game. And the great thing was, being four of us, one of us could always come up with a smart-ass answer.

Eppridge : These guys were so quick and genuinely funny. They had a great sense of humor. They really knew how to handle the press.

Roe : The concert was a big deal. It was an amazing scene. They were really catching on and everybody came to that show, either hanging out backstage and trying to become the fifth Beatle or trying to get on the bill. They kept adding people. The marquee didn't say anything about the other acts. It just said "The Beatles." It was all about them. But I wasn't offended. That's just the way it worked. I was there to do my two songs and then get off the stage.

McCartney : We were always slightly sort of embarrassed when the promoters laid too heavy an emphasis on us. We were quite democratic about it. Sure we wanted our name big and stuff, but we always liked the others to get a mention.

Lois Lane, of the "You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry"-singing Caravelles : We were asked to appear with the Beatles in Washington, and we sort of knew what to expect, because we'd been on a concert with them in Scotland at the end of 1963. We knew it was going to be mayhem and lots of shouting and screaming. When we went on, we got some of that screaming from the girls, too, I think by association, because we also came from England. But we were all sort of incidental, weren't we? We just happened to be there for a time, to keep the crowd quiet for a while before the Beatles. It was the beginning of that "boy band" type of thing, really. It was exciting.

Lynn : My father had run one ad in the paper, and the concert sold out. He was so stunned that a group he'd never heard of before sold out. It was such an unusual event and it was a windfall. He took the profit and used it to buy my mother a new Lincoln Continental convertible for her birthday. We came home from school and he said, "The Beatles concert bought that for your mother."

Hundt : I think I still have the ticket somewhere. It was not very expensive — $2.50 or something like that. And it wasn't like tickets were hard to get.

Larry Sealfon, former record-store clerk : I was working at Super Music in Silver Spring, and we were allocated a block of tickets to sell. But there wasn't a frenzy or anything like that. It was pretty orderly. After the concert, people came in — mostly mothers — complaining about their seats. They complained that all they got to see was the back of the Beatles.

Albert : The stage was in the middle of the arena and the band had to rotate around the stage. So they were only facing you a quarter of the time. The rest of the time you were either looking at their backs or their sides. That wasn't ideal.

McCartney : That was the first time we'd ever played in the round. We said: "Do we have to do it?" "Yeah. We've sold tickets everywhere. You'll have to turn around." How the hell are we doing to do that? "Well, just do a few numbers east then shuffle around north. Then do a few numbers north and shuffle around west." We said: "What's Ringo doing to do?" He had to shuffle the [drum] kit around himself. The idea that we had our backs and sides to three-fourths of the audience at any point of the show was awkward. We were used to getting them and holding them — paying attention to them and having them pay attention to us. There were a few things we did once with the Beatles, and playing in the round in Washington was one of them. I don't think I've done the in-the-round thing ever since.

Lynn : They wanted to fit as many people as possible in. If they had played with the stage at one end, they would've only been able to fit 6,000 or 6,500. With the stage in the middle, they could fit 8,000.

Hundt: It was mostly girls. Being from a boys school, we had never seen so many girls in one place before. I don't know that I knew for sure that there were that many girls in the world.

McCartney : It was terrific. We'd been used to it in smaller doses. But in our minds, it's only right that it should get bigger. And where better for it than America, where everything is bigger? It was very exciting, just having that many people — predominantly girls, all screaming.

Albert : I never was a screamer. It was all about the music for me. The concert started with some warm-up groups, and I was relieved because I had heard about the screaming that went on in England. And I thought: Nobody's screaming. This is going to be nice; we're going to be able to hear them. (Laughs.) When they started playing, you couldn't hear a thing. It was unbelievably loud, like white noise. I remember the policeman near me stuck bullets in his ears.

Eppridge : That's probably where I lost most of my hearing. Either there or with the Marines in Vietnam, AR-15s cracking next to my ear. I remember my ears hurting from the high-pitched screaming for the Beatles. It was absolutely piercing. If you're around six railroad train engines and they're all traveling at 100 miles an hour and they slam on their brakes at the same time — that's what it sounded like. But it was delightful.

Gore : The acoustics in the arena combined with the absolute frenzy of enthusiasm made it virtually impossible to understand a single word that they sang. You had to listen carefully to get the general flow of the song, and of course everybody knew all the words prior to the concert. We all loved their music, but clearly there were a lot of people in that crowd who loved it even more than I did because they couldn't stop screaming. I'm thrilled that iTunes [got] the film of that concert, because I'll get to hear the words clearly for the first time.

McCartney : Opening with "Roll Over Beethoven" wasn't a statement. Every time we did shows, we did the same as I do now: You just feel the climate; you put your finger in the air and whichever side goes cold is the way the wind's blowin'. We didn't plan those things. It was just: "Let's start with George doing 'Roll Over Beethoven.' It's rockin'." In retrospect, I should be telling [that] it was a calculated move to show the world of classical music that it was time they rolled over and made way for the delightful young sound that's going to take over.

Mitchell: I was on the side they were facing, right up against the stage, in front of Lennon. I could feel something momentous happening; it was definitely the most dramatic thing I'd both ever experienced and ever photographed. My principal memory is that I was in a very heightened state of alertness, so incredibly focused. But I've seen the footage, and there are times I'm leaning on the stage, just taking it all in. I've realized in subsequent years what a tremendously privileged perspective I had. I could even hear the music and the lyrics.

Oberman : It was a short set, like 35 minutes. I was able to hear some of the songs with some difficulty. I thought they were excellent.

McCartney : I don't remember thinking we played particularly well. But looking back, time has been very kind to us. It was a cool gig.

Lynn : I didn't think of it as something I should always remember. I just thought it was a fun time. But one thing I'll never forget is that my friend was already wearing a black Beatles wig. I don't know how that got going so quickly.

Maysles : No one gave us permission to bring the camera in, so we had to sneak into the arena. We would've liked to have gotten close to the stage, but we took our seats at some distance. At one point I saw that sitting just behind us was Brian Epstein, who was enjoying the whole performance. And it turned out I had probably a better view than had I been close up, because I could [film] very wide and include the young audience, which was just going crazy with joy.

Lynn : This is kind of gross, but somebody said — and maybe it was my father — that after the concert was over and everybody had left, you know what the smell was in the Coliseum? It was pee from all these girls who got over-excited.

Roe : This was early in the crazy rock-and-roll thing, so nobody really rushed the stage. They were rowdy and very loud, but they stayed in their seats. They hadn't realized you can go berserk at these shows. It was like polite pandemonium.

Gore : "Polite pandemonium" is apt. At the time, we didn't think anything unusual about the first part of that phrase. What was unusual was the second part.

Albert : There was a large police presence there, but since everybody was so well-behaved, they didn't have much to do except stand around. But people were throwing stuff. Since we were down front, we were getting pelted with flashbulbs the size of golf balls and also jelly beans.

McCartney : We had been asked somewhere what is your favorite sweet, and we said jelly babies. So the fans took to throwing them onstage, and this had reached Washington. In England, they're soft and always in the shape of babies. What do you call them? Jelly beans. They're hard. They stung, and we're playing in the round, and they're being thrown from everywhere. It was very unsettling. After that, we said the time has come for us to tell people we hate these damn things. They were only trying to be cute; throw the cute bits at the cute boys, that will be fun. But if you caught one of those in the eye, that was none too pleasant.

Hundt : We came armed and threw jelly beans at Ringo's cymbals. I think you can hear them pinging on the tapes of the concert. It probably was a bad thing to do, but there was some story that the Beatles liked them, and high school boys like to throw things. So that's how they were welcomed.

Gore : I don't recall throwing any jelly beans myself. But I know that all around us, there were lots being thrown. It wasn't intended in a malicious way.

Albert : The show was somewhat disappointing. I mean, it was exciting in one way. Yeah, I got to see them. But there was all this interference — the noise, and all the stuff raining on us.

Mitchell : When they did the last lines of the Little Richard song, ["Long Tall Sally"], they were gone in a flash. The crowd felt a little turbulent, so I jumped onto the stage. But when I looked around, I saw how young everybody was and realized there was no threat to my life at all. At that point, I turned into a fan. I lingered around Ringo's drumsticks, long enough to slide one under my coat. I felt guilty about it immediately. That thing eventually got given to a girlfriend's little sister, in an effort to impress the girlfriend. I tracked her down a few years ago but the souvenir has disappeared.

Gore : A friend of ours and classmate actually made some good money selling photographs after the event. He had a business plan: He took as many photos as possible and posted them on the bulletin board at school after the concert, and they were snapped up like hotcakes.

Roe: After the show was over, I drove back to the Shoreham and went to the Beatles' room and we had a beer or two and just chatted. But it was hectic. Everybody was trying to do interviews with them. I helped Murray the K get in there and tape an interview with them.

McCartney : I'm sure we got [annoyed] not being able to just enjoy ourselves and always having to answer some dumb question about this, that and the other — like what toothpaste we were using. We saw ourselves as sophisticated dudes in those days, and there was a little bit of irritation at the undue attention we were getting. But at the same time, we asked for it. We knew what it was.

Eppridge : There was a reception afterwards hosted by British Ambassador David Ormsby-Gore, and it was not exactly what I expected. You expect people at an embassy party to stand around in dark suits holding champagne glasses. It's supposed to look regal and dignified. The reception was absolutely jampacked with teeny-boppers and musical people, with an awful lot of Americans. It was a strange group. The British charge d'affaires was wearing a Beatles wig.

McCartney : The idea of going to an ambassador's party was sort of amusing and vaguely interesting, but it wasn't our scene. It was a little too aristocratic. It was a little jolly hockey sticks. "Oh, the Beatles, how delightful! How amusing!" Yeah, all right, love. Then one of these debutantes came up with a pair of scissors and tried to snip our hair, like she was walking up behind some mannequins. Okay, time to leave! We knew we were famous and up for grabs, but that was most definitely out of order. Finally somebody had crossed the line, majorly. It was unfortunate. But the great thing about memories is that the good bits are the ones that tend to remain. The trip to Washington is a very romantic time in my memory.

A shorter version of this account was published in The Washington Post in 2010, when Paul McCartney returned to Washington for the Kennedy Center Honors. Some quotes have been condensed. Staff researcher Magda Jean-Louis contributed to this report.

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This Day In History : August 19

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The Beatles kick off first U.S. tour at San Francisco’s Cow Palace

The Beatles took America by storm during their famous first visit, wowing the millions who watched them during their historic television appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964. But after the first great rush of stateside Beatlemania, the Beatles promptly returned to Europe, leaving their American fans to make do with mere records. By late summer of that same year, however, having put on an unprecedented and still unmatched display of pop-chart dominance during their absence, the Beatles finally returned. On August 19, 1964, more than six months after taking the East Coast by storm, the Fab Four traveled to California to take the stage at the Cow Palace in San Francisco for opening night of their first-ever concert tour of North America.

Although in retrospect it would seem a laughable underestimation of their drawing power in America, Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein chose venues like the 17,000-seat Cow Palace for the 1964 tour expressly because he feared that the Beatles might not sell out large sports stadiums like San Francisco’s Candlestick Park, where they would play their final official concert in 1966. Suffice it to say that the Beatles had no difficultly filling the Cow Palace, which was packed with 17,130 screaming fans when the group bounded to the stage shortly after 9:00 p.m. on this day in 1964 and launched into “Twist And Shout.”

The Beatles’ set that night and throughout the tour that followed featured only 12 songs, most often in this order:

”Twist and Shout”

“You Can’t Do That”

“All My Loving”

”She Loves You”

“Things We Said Today”

“Roll Over Beethoven”

“Can’t Buy Me Love”

“If I Fell”

“I Want to Hold Your Hand”

“A Hard Day’s Night”

“Long Tall Sally”

At other stops on the tour, the Beatles’ performances would last approximately 33 minutes, but the show that night in San Francisco lasted some five minutes longer—not because of any difference in the Beatles’ performance, but because of police intervention to stem the growing pandemonium. Within the first few seconds of the first song that night, at least one radio journalist traveling with the Beatles had been trampled to the ground along with a young female fan who broke a leg in the melee. And thanks to an offhand comment by George Harrison about the group’s favorite candy in the days leading up to the show, the Beatles themselves were pelted with flying jelly beans throughout that night’s set. Though John, Paul, George and Ringo were uninjured, they left the Cow Palace that night by ambulance after their limousine was swarmed by berserk fans. It was a scene that would become familiar to them as they continued on their first historic tour of America in the months ahead.

Also on This Day in History August | 19

Benjamin Banneker writes to Thomas Jefferson, urging justice for African Americans

This Day in History Video: What Happened on August 19

“west memphis three” released from prison after 18 years, bill clinton is born, old ironsides earns its name, captured u.s. spy pilot sentenced in russia.

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First race is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

President wilson appears before the senate foreign relations committee, john wesley hardin killed in texas, kim basinger and alec baldwin marry, a jewish youth is killed by a mob, cia-assisted coup overthrows government of iran, adolf hitler becomes president of germany.

The Beatles live: Washington Coliseum, Washington, DC

The Beatles’ first US concert was watched by a crowd of 8,092 fans at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, DC.

The band had traveled from New York to Washington, DC early in the day by rail, as an East Coast snowstorm had caused all flights to be cancelled.

A special sleeper carriage was attached to the Congressman, the Pennsylvania Railroad express train. The carriage was called The King George, and was already full with press people by the time The Beatles boarded.

Originally, we were going to fly to Washington, but, because of the heavy snow storm that I was told was coming, I advised Brian Epstein to make special arrangements to get a special train to take us to Washington. We went down to Washington and had a lot of fun on the train but we almost got killed when we got off the train. Some 10,000 kids had broken through the barriers. I remember being pinned against a locomotive on the outside, and feeling the life going out of me. I said to myself, ‘My God! Murray the K dies with an English group!’ George looked at me and said, ‘Isn’t this fun?’ I did my show that night direct from their dressing room.

Upon arrival at Washington’s Union Station The Beatles were greeted by 2,000 fans who braved the eight inches of snow on the ground. They gave a press conference before visiting WWDC, which had been the first US radio station to play a Beatles record.

The group and their entourage checked in at the Shoreham Hotel, where they took the entire seventh floor to avoid fans. One family refused to be relocated so the hotel staff cut off the hot water, electricity and central heating, telling them there was a power failure and they had to move.

The Beatles’ concert that night was at the Washington Coliseum, a boxing arena. Upon their arrival at the venue the group held a press conference.

Also on the bill at the Coliseum were The Chiffons and Tommy Roe. However, The Chiffons were unable to make it due to the previous day’s snowstorm. Instead, the opening acts were Jay & The Americans, The Righteous Brothers and Tommy Roe.

The Beatles live at the Washington Coliseum, Washington DC, 11 February 1964

The Beatles took to the stage at 8.31pm, and performed 12 songs: ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ , ‘From Me To You’ , ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ , ‘This Boy’ , ‘All My Loving’ , ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ , ‘Please Please Me’ , ‘Till There Was You’ , ‘She Loves You’ , ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ , ‘Twist And Shout’ and ‘Long Tall Sally’ .

The group were performing in the round, and Ringo Starr ’s drum riser was turned 180 degrees after the third song by Mal Evans , to allow the audience behind them to watch the performance. This was repeated again after I Wanna Be Your Man, and following She Loves You they turned 45 degrees.

In addition to this somewhat awkward set-up, George Harrison’s microphone wasn’t working during the opening song, and he was given a faulty replacement. It didn’t dampen the audience’s appreciation, however; they responded with typical screams of Beatlemania, causing one of the 362 police officers present to block his ears with bullets.

Many of the fans pelted The Beatles with jelly beans, after a New York newspaper had reported The Beatles discussing their liking for them.

That night, we were absolutely pelted by the fuckin’ things. They don’t have soft jelly babies there; they have hard jelly beans. To make matters worse, we were on a circular stage, so they hit us from all sides. Imagine waves of rock-hard little bullets raining down on your from the sky. It’s a bit dangerous, you know, ’cause if a jelly bean, travelling about 50 miles an hour through the air, hits you in the eye, you’re finished. You’re blind aren’t you? We’ve never liked people throwing stuff like that. We don’t mind them throwing streamers, but jelly beans are a bit dangerous, you see! Every now and again, one would hit a string on my guitar and plonk off a bad note as I was trying to play.

Brian Epstein had allowed CBS to film The Beatles’ performance, which was shown by the National General Corporation in a telecast in US cinemas on 14 and 15 March 1964. The performance has since been released on DVD, and extracts were included in Anthology.

After their performance The Beatles attended a reception at the British Embassy, at the invitation of Lady Ormsby-Gore. They gave out raffle prizes – signed copies of Meet The Beatles! – at the end of a dance to benefit the National Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and mingled with the assembled dignitaries.

However, they left in disgust after one of the guests cut off a lock of Ringo’s hair from behind his left ear. The Beatles walked out and told Brian Epstein never to subject them to such an occasion again.

People were sort of touching us as we walked past, that kind of thing. Wherever we went we were supposed to be not normal and we were supposed to put up with all sorts of shit from lord mayors and their wives and be touched and pawed like A Hard Day’s Night only a million more times. At the American Embassy, the British Embassy in Washington, or wherever it was, some bloody animal cut Ringo’s hair, in the middle of… I walked out of that. Swearing at all of them and I just left in the middle of it.

Also on this day...

2010: All You Need Is Love to be released as a Beatles Rock Band download
1972: Wings live: Hull University
1970: Plastic Ono Band perform Instant Karma! on Top Of The Pops
1970: New York première of The Magic Christian
1970: Recording, mixing: I’m A Fool To Care by Ringo Starr
1968: Recording, mixing: Hey Bulldog
1966: UK single release: Woman by Peter And Gordon
1965: Ringo Starr marries Maureen Cox
1963: Recording: Please Please Me album
1962: The Beatles live: Casbah Coffee Club, Liverpool
1961: The Beatles live: Cassanova Club, Liverpool
1961: The Beatles live: Lathom Hall, Liverpool

Want more? Visit the Beatles history section .

Latest Comments

To see clips of this historic concert is pure heaven as The Beatles are showered in adoration from their newly cultivated American fans. But… when is Apple Corps. going to obtain use of the pristine CBS master videotape of this entire show for dvd release?! You can see a short tantalizing clip of it in Anthology and it looks like it was caught on camera just yesterday it’s so crip and clear. I’d lay down the money for it in a heartbeat so come on folks at Apple, please get on this!

Neither The Chiffons or Tommy Roe performed at this show. Both were unable to make it because of the massive snowstorm the day before.

The only originally scheduled act to show up were The Caravelles. Also opening up that night were Jay & The Americans and The Righteous Brothers.

Funny; Tommy Roe seems to remember it and has talked about it in many interviews over the years. (And, no – he’s not talking about the UK tour the previous year. He mentions that and then talks about the DC concert). Example:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/the-beatles-first-us-concert-an-oral-history-of-the-day-the-fab-four-conquered-dc/2014/02/10/23f1042a-9010-11e3-84e1-27626c5ef5fb_story.html?utm_term=.fbaae116f17a

Are you sure about Tommy Roe? I must say I’ve never heard that Jay & the Americans or the Righteous Brothers were among the opening acts. The Chiffons, Tommy Roe and the Caravelles yes, though.

Here’s another link. Now, let’s end this stuff…. https://web.archive.org/web/20220212225311/https://www.houstonchronicle.com/life/columnists/hoffman/article/Tommy-Roe-remembers-Beatles-first-U-S-concert-5222415.php

WWDC was not the first US radio station to play a Beatles record. That honor goes to Chicago’s WLS & legendary DJ Dick Biondi, who aired an original Vee-Jay (with the mis-spelled ‘Beattles’) pressing of “Please Please Me” on his 9-Midnight show soon after its original US release in early 1963. It even made the local charts, on the WLS ‘Silver Dollar Survey’ (Biondi was also the featured DJ on that week’s survey).

For me, the weekend that the Beatles landed in the USA was very personal for more than the usual reasons. In retrospect the entire affair remains bittersweet because I lost a family member. For two months the U.S. had remained in mourning after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy a few weeks earlier on November 22, 1963. Although I was a bit too young at the time to realize the full effects of what was happening in America. I now understand that the death of JFK meant also the death of a dream for much of the youth of the age. Shock and disbelief were the initial reactions of all, followed by a new dark paranoia for much of the newly disaffected youth, a fear fueled by disgust and distrust, and cold uncertainty. On Friday, February 7, 1964, there seemed to be some relief on the way as I watched the Fab Four (on our small black and white TV set in Raceland, Kentucky) land in America. For weeks I had been seeing ads on TV stating that “The Beatles Are Coming!” even though I had no idea what a “Beatle” was. The Fab Four touched down in America, launching the “British Invasion,” all three networks covered their frenzied arrival at JFK Airport where over thousands of fans (estimates run between 3,000 to 4,000) smiled, waved, swooned, and screamed. Many held signs professing their undying love, others offered tokens of love letters, candy, flowers, and photos. It was real and genuine hysteria, and not a publicity stunt, making it a true media event that was also real, unlike much of today’s scripted “reality” shows and staged events. It stands as an historical day not just for music, but culturally for the way that all things English would affect the US youth. Accompanying them was producer Phil Spector who would later work both with them on LET IT BE and with John for some solo material; and Brian Epstein, the group’s personal business manager and impresario who taken them out of the sweaty, gritty beer-halls of Germany and Liverpool and groomed them for the world stage by making good on his promise to take the lads to the States after they landed their first US #1 hit. The brisk sales of “I Want To Hold Your Hand” helped to make it all possible. They made a few humorous remarks to the press and were whisked away to their hotel for the remaining day. On the following morning of Saturday, February 8, 1964, a televised press conference was held with THE BEATLES in the Baroque Room at New York’s Plaza Hotel during which the lads’ warm personalities playfully and quick-wittedly quipped and joked, helping to charm their way into the hearts of their interviewers and America at large. Later, they rehearsed (un-televised) for their first of two consecutively scheduled Sunday night headline appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show. That same Saturday morning, my grandfather John Milt Davidson Sr. did not wake up for breakfast. Grandma (beside him in the photo) had died just before I was born so he had been staying with us for a while. My Mother checked on him and had to tell my Dad that he was unresponsive and cold to the touch. In a panic, Dad rushed into the bedroom where Grandpa slept and realized that his father and namesake had passed away quietly in his sleep after having turned 84 on January 22. Oblivious to what was happening, I was quickly pushed in front of the TV while they called an ambulance and tried to deal with the situation without upsetting me. I recall being absorbed by the Beatles’ interviews, but when a big white truck pulled into the driveway and two men dressed in all white carried a white cot with a white sheet into Grandpa’s bedroom only to bring it back out with him on it a few moments later covered by the white sheet, I was shocked and ran into my Mother’s arms. I asked my Dad “Where are they taking Grandpa?” and I’ll never forget his red-eyed answer: “They’re taking him to heaven, son.” I immediately thought that the men must be angels and I asked my parents if I could go with them. Dad replied, “You’ll see him again someday if you stay a good boy.” Grandpa had been especially fond of me. At Christmas he would hide an extra bag of nuts in the top of his bedroom closet along with an old glass pop bottle to crack them open with. He and Dad would take turns reading to me and sometimes we’d just listen to the radio together if there was nothing on the tube, an event Mom and Dad often enjoyed as well having been raised on radio themselves. That day is now and forever burned into my memory, but it would be years later (I wasn’t quite three yet with my birthday being in May) before I realized the symbolism of it all: my Grandpa’s generation was giving way to the next. Now, 50 years later, Mom and Dad are gone too, and only Paul and Ringo remain of the mop tops, but I must say that they ALL had a profound effect on this music lover. Thanks for letting me share my memories.

WRONG! There are (3) Beatles still alive: Pete Best, (drummer 1960-62), Paul and Ringo.

Some notes to this historic first US Beatles concert. There are a multitude of alternative footage available (well, sort of), so having put it all together at home I now have a very different mix of the film, with less audience and more Beatles. 1.Upon entering the stage we can see Paul unfolding a set list and leaving it on top of one of the amps. One of the few times I have seen that. Holland 64 is another, and I think Chicago 65. 2. No song is introduced by John. No wonder many Americans would think of Paul as the band leader later on. 3. It´so wonderfully amateurish. Spinning the drum set around several times is terrible enough, having the musicians do it themselves is just rude. It happens after I saw her standing there, I wanna be your man, She loves you and Twist and shout. 4. When they moved the drums after She loves you, they didn´t bother changing the amps, so I want to hold your hand is played with their amps pointed to another direction. Before the song, Ringo drums a short roll. I don´t think I ever heard him do that between songs at any other time, he always waited for the next number. 5. During All my loving, Paul and George are on the “wrong” side of one another, compared to later shows. 6. Paul refers to Ringo as “our drummer”, which makes it sound like he was a hired extra. It happened many times. 7. During several songs, you can see girls with microphones wired to a reel-to-reel tape recorder. Would be nice to hear those recordings today! 8. Pauls last intro; “We´ve already overrun our time”; yeah sure, like the audience would have been unhappy with another 6 songs! I wonder who decided on the group´s playing time, Beatles, Epstein or the promotor? All in all, it is great that the show was filmed and preserved as it was. A very enjoyable show.

I listen to footage from this concert and you can hear the bass bouncing off the back of the hall!! It makes you realise all the footage we have of early Beatles is really not representative of their live sound. Mostly we get from the PA, ie vocal and a bit of guitar. It’s a shame we can never hear that cavern sound with the big booming bass from the “coffins” built by Adrian Barber. Washington is the nearest I can hear, anybody got any suggestions? Can anybody eq some footage to bring out the bass?

I love the way Paul’s bass kicks in at the beginning of Roll over Beethoven and just drives it heavy. More bass and drums and their vocals are spot on perfect live.

Sorry, I am from Asunción, Paraguay and I do not write english very well, but I want to ask you a question about the Concert at the Washington Coliseum, I read that at the Concert performs Jay and the Americans, Tommy Roe and The R. Brothers, but, what happened with The Caravelles? an English duo that I read in some place, that the girls performs at the Washington Coliseum with the others covers, That it is true?

How was the bald guy helping Ringo and the boys move their gear around? That dude deserves a medal.

I was just remembering the Beatles today and was telling my husband that I saw the Beatles in D.C. in 1964. For a moment he didn’t believe me… He said hardly anyone has seen the Beatles as they didn’t perform for long, especially in the States. Well, I was 10 and living in Bethesda, Maryland. I’d see the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show and owned the Meet the Beatles album, their first. My mother bought me a ticket and dropped me off. I was pretty independent. Now days, no mother would drop her barely teenage 10-year old daughter off to a concert. But…she trusted me and there I was with a zillion other teenage girls. I swore that I would not be screaming as I had heard about the fans in the UK screaming. Yet, as the Beatles ran out from the underground access onto the floor of the Stadium, every girl in the entire place stood up and started screaming and we all screamed throughout the entire concert!! Non stop screaming and yelling the Beatle of choice. I yelled “George, George, George”, hoping he would hear my cries coming through all of the other cries. Quite an experience I’ll never remember.

I was there too and have the ticket stub to prove it! I was in Row 11. And my Dad dropped me off along with my girlfriend. You’re right that the screaming was non-stop. I had puschased 2 tickets to the show a couple weeks before the concert based on a small ad in The Washington Post and only hearing I Want To Hold Your Hand. Once they were on Ed Sullivan you couldn’t get a ticket. As a huge Beatles fan I attended subsequent concerts in the U.S. including the famous one at Shea Stadium. Unfortunately, I was always in the “nosebleed” seats after that but excited to be there. I now proudly use a coffe mug that says “I Was There” along with the date, the venue, and a list of the songs they performed. Great times!

I’m interested in finding out more about when The Ormsby Gore Family, Alice Ormsby Gore’s Family Hosted The Beatles At The British Embassy in Feburary 1964

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News - 09 February 2016

7th February, 1964 - Beginning of First US Tour

Music and Concerts | Today in History: The Beatles arrive for first…

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Music and concerts | today in history: the beatles arrive for first us tour.

The Beatles, foreground from left, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon and Ringo Starr on drums perform on the CBS "Ed Sullivan Show" in New York on Feb. 9, 1964.

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 7, the 38th day of 2024. There are 328 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Feb. 7, 1964, the Beatles arrived to screaming fans at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to begin their first American tour.

On this date:

In 1857, a French court acquitted author Gustave Flaubert of obscenity for his serialized novel “Madame Bovary.”

In 1943, the government abruptly announced that wartime rationing of shoes made of leather would go into effect in two days, limiting consumers to buying three pairs per person per year. (Rationing was lifted in October 1945.)

In 1948, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower resigned as U.S. Army chief of staff; he was succeeded by Gen. Omar Bradley.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy imposed a full trade embargo on Cuba.

In 1971, women in Switzerland gained the right to vote through a national referendum, 12 years after a previous attempt failed.

In 1984, space shuttle Challenger astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart went on the first untethered spacewalk, which lasted nearly six hours.

In 1985, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was kidnapped in Guadalajara, Mexico, by drug traffickers who tortured and murdered him.

In 1991, Jean-Bertrand Aristide was inaugurated as the first democratically elected president of Haiti (he was overthrown by the military the following September).

In 1999, Jordan’s King Hussein died of cancer at age 63; he was succeeded by his eldest son, Abdullah.

In 2009, a miles-wide section of ice in Lake Erie broke away from the Ohio shoreline, trapping about 135 fishermen, some for as long as four hours before they could be rescued (one man fell into the water and later died of an apparent heart attack).

In 2014, the Sochi Olympics opened with a celebration of Russia’s past greatness and hopes for future glory.

In 2018, biotech billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong struck a $500 million deal to buy the Los Angeles Times, the San Diego Union-Tribune and other publications.

In 2020, two days after his acquittal in his first Senate impeachment trial, President Donald Trump took retribution against two officials who had delivered damaging testimony; he ousted Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a national security aide, and Gordon Sondland, his ambassador to the European Union.

In 2021, after moving south to a new team and conference, Tom Brady led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 31-9 Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on the Buccaneers’ home field.

Today’s birthdays: Author Gay Talese is 92. Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., is 72. Comedy writer Robert Smigel is 64. Actor James Spader is 64. Country singer Garth Brooks is 62. Rock musician David Bryan (Bon Jovi) is 62. Actor-comedian Eddie Izzard is 62. Actor-comedian Chris Rock is 59. Actor Jason Gedrick is 57. Actor Essence Atkins is 51. Rock singer-musician Wes Borland is 49. Rock musician Tom Blankenship (My Morning Jacket) is 46. Actor Ashton Kutcher is 46. Actor Tina Majorino is 39. Actor Deborah Ann Woll is 39. Former NBA player Isaiah Thomas is 35. NHL center Steven Stamkos is 34.

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60 Years Ago: The Beatles First U.S. Visit

The Beatles’ press conference at New York’s JFK Airport, Feb. 7, 1964

From the moment that Pan American flight 101 touched down on February 7, 1964, at about 1:30 p.m. at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York (recently renamed for the president who was assassinated the previous November), rock ‘n’ roll music and America became forever changed. The Beatles had arrived in New York to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show and play their first U.S. tour.

The band had no idea how America would receive them. But just before touching down, Paul McCartney recalls, “The pilot had rung ahead and said, ‘Tell the boys there’s a big crowd waiting for them.’” Some 3,000 to 6,000 fans who’d been alerted by local radio stations were gathered, many on the rooftop observation deck of the terminal, most of them girls who were screaming as soon as the jet taxied up.

The media assembled for a press conference was another matter – cynical and out for blood. But the good-natured and witty banter of the Fab Four won them over. “We were funny at press conferences, because it was all a joke,” said John Lennon. “They’d ask joke questions so we’d give joke answers, but we weren’t really funny at all. It was just fifth-form humor, the sort you laugh at at school. The press were putrid. If there were any good questions about our music we took them seriously. We were nervous, though I don’t think people thought so.”

Watch a portion of the press conference

During their limo ride into Manhattan, the Beatles enjoyed listening to New York radio on the transistor radios they’d each been gifted by Pepsi. They marveled at how, in contrast to England’s staid single signal from the BBC, there were a number of stations playing rock ‘n’ roll, spinning not just the band’s favorite artists but their music as well. “We were so overawed by American radio,” Lennon recalled.

More thousands of fans surrounded the Plaza Hotel, where The Beatles and their party found themselves in the lap of luxury in an 11-room suite on the 12th floor of the famed hotel. But it was also like a gilded cell as the avid fans crowded around the Plaza made it nearly impossible for the band to leave the premises, much less do any sightseeing.

That evening the group went to the Ed Sullivan Show studio on Broadway to rehearse and block out their performance – at least John, Paul and Ringo. George Harrison had caught a cold and remained behind to recuperate.

Sullivan’s “cue card guy,” Vince Calandra, famously stood in for Harrison at the dress rehearsal, wig and all. “I had an instant rapport with them,” he told Best Classic Bands.

“John wanted to know about some of the groups that had been here. He said, ‘What about Buddy Holly and the Crickets?’ And I said, ‘John, if you walk two steps to your right, that’s where he stood on the show. I held cards for them.’”

Related: Two months’ later, they held the top 5 spots on the U.S. singles chart

The Beatles’ “Red” and “Blue” albums, expanded in 2023, are available here .

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3 Comments so far

Nothing big – just changed everything!

I still remember the excitement I felt, especially when glued to our TV watching them on Ed Sullivan that first time. The next day at school The Beatles were all anyone talked about. That was the beginning of Beatlemania, and my love of them. And I’m still a die-hard fan after all these years!

I was almost 7, my sister 9 and my bro 11. Us kids laid in my parents bed with them to watch the Ed Sullivan show on a black and white TV. A decade or so letter every kid in my high school Was looking for clues on the sergeant pepper band to determine if Paul was dead and then a few years later the Beatles had a whole chapter in my psych 101 book explaining the phenomenon. What a wonderful time to grow up with that music in the background of my life. Still a fan!

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The definitive archive for beatles fans, the beatles’ first concert in the us.

The Beatles’ first visit to the US came at a time of great popularity in Britain. The band’s UK commercial breakthrough, in late 1962, had been followed by a year of successful concerts and tours. The start of the Beatles’ popularity in the US, in early 1964, was marked by intense demand for the single “I Want to Hold Your Hand” which sold one and a half million copies in under three weeks and the band’s arrival the following month. The visit, advertised across the US on five million posters, was a defining moment in the Beatles’ history, and the starting-point of the British Invasion.

On 9 February 1964, the Beatles made their first live US television appearance. 73 million viewers —about two fifths of the total American population— watched the group perform on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Two days after the television appearance, on 11 February 1964, the Beatles’ first US concert took place, at Washington Coliseum, a sports arena in Washington, D.C. The concert was attended by eight thousand fans. The Beatles performed on a central stage in the arena, with the audience on all sides, and there were regular pauses to enable the band to turn their equipment around and perform facing in another direction.

“They played The Ed Sullivan Show, and then they took the train down to DC. That’s where I lived at the time, that’s where my career started. So when they showed up in DC, my sister was assisting their photographer, and she said, “You’d better come see these guys,” so I did.” Rowland Scherman

All photos by Rowland Scherman

Rowland Scherman began taking pictures in New York in 1958, when he was an apprentice at the LIFE darkroom. In 1961, a 24-year old freelancer, he served as the first photographer for the Peace Corps. Scherman travelled the world for the newly-formed organization, helping to give the Peace Corps its image. Scherman has done covers and photojournalism for LIFE, Time, Newsweek, Paris Match, Playboy, and National Geographic.

2 comments on “ the beatles’ first concert in the us ”.

Pingback: Beatles at Washington Coliseum, the Mike Mitchell shoots | Beatles Archive

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Beatles: The First U.S. Visit

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Beach Boys' Mike Love on giving the Beatles songwriting tips, Brian Wilson and 'Kokomo'

Mike Love was obviously pleased to see the Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” holding strong at No. 2 in the latest update of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in Rolling Stone , with only Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” above it on the 2023 edition of the list.

“When I first saw that, I said, ‘Well, I demand a recount,” he says with a laugh. “Being the bratty sort of guy that I am, you know? But anyway, no, that’s pretty good company, don’t you think?”

Love is speaking by phone from the Caribbean, about to catch a flight to Phoenix to visit his son, Brian, who lives in Scottsdale, before a string of tour dates with his latest version of the Beach Boys that includes performances at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California, and Talking Stick Resort in metro Phoenix (on Friday, April 26).

Here’s what he had to say.

Mike Love on the Beach Boys at Stagecoach Festival: 'We do what we do'

It's interesting to see the Beach Boys at a country music festival. Have you done Stagecoach before?

No, although we did appear with our friends LoCash on that stage a couple years ago . They did a song called 'Beach Boys.' It's, like, some country guys going to the beach. And they asked us to sing with them, so we did.

So you're just doing your normal Beach Boys set at Stagecoach?

Well, yeah, we do what we do, you know? We'll do all our hit songs that we're known for, everything from “Surfin' Safari” and Surfin’ U.S.A.” to “I Get Around” and “Fun, Fun, Fun” to “California Girls” and “Help Me, Rhonda,” “Good Vibrations” and “Kokomo.” And John Stamos is gonna be with us. He loves to come out and play drums with us.

Beach Boys flashback: How the Beach Boys took 'small town' Phoenix by storm in 1964: 'It was a big thing'

Paul McCartney's Beach Boys moment on 'Back in the U.S.S.R'

It’s great to see “Pet Sounds” hanging strong at No. 2 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

It's amazing. Bruce Johnston, who joined our group in 1965 to take Brian Wilson's place after Glen Campbell filled in for six months or so, actually took the album as an acetate, before it was printed up. Keith Moon of the Who introduced Bruce to John Lennon and Paul McCartney. So he played the album for them a couple of times in his suite.

We have a connection that goes back many years with the Beatles. And, of course, I spent a couple of months in Rishikesh at the Maharishi's place. I didn't know before I got there but when I did get there the Beatles were all there. That was a fascinating time. Meditation and music. In fact, I was the first person to hear “Back in the U.S.S.R.” from Paul McCartney's acoustic guitar at the breakfast table one morning.

What did you think of them doing their Beach Boys thing on “Back in the U.S.S.R.”?

I thought it was amazing. I was staying in the same sort of area. It was like a motel kind of thing. Paul was down at the other end. And Prudence Farrow was in a similar area. You know, John Lennon came up with that song “Dear Prudence.” But yeah, when Paul came down, he said, “Listen to this, Mike. Flew in from Miami Beach, BOAC” and all that.

I said, “Well, Paul, what you've got to do is talk about all the girls around Russia in the middle part,” which he did. So it turns out Sir Paul is pretty capable of crafting a tune.

There was a lot of music that came out of that course. They actually did a song called “The Spiritual Rejuvenation Foundation” and played it for me on my birthday. It was styled after “Fun, Fun, Fun.” I had my birthday on the 15th of March and George Harrison had his on the 25th of February. So we're both Pisces, as it turns out, and we're both very much into our meditation.

Do you find that meditation help with creativity?

Yeah, just life in general. And I'm in a creative field. So it's absolutely helped me a lot. On a practical level, Transcendental Meditation, which is taught by Maharishi, your metabolism slows down to a level of rest twice as deep as sleep. So you get this profoundly restful relaxation, which is great for everything, your emotions and your physical well-being. I've been doing it since December of '67 when I first learned meditation from Maharishi.

Mike Love on the Beach Boys throwing a curve with 'Pet Sounds'

Getting back to "Pet Sounds," does it feel as through that album has been getting more and more appreciated as it ages?

You know, Capitol Records really didn't know when we first made it what to do with it . So it never got the push that it probably deserved, because we really put a lot into that album. But it was regarded very highly by all the people in the music business. Paul McCartney once said that “God Only Knows” was his favorite song. I mean, that's a pretty fantastic statement coming from a guy who's written some of the most famous and best songs ever.

But Capitol Records really didn't know what to do with it because it was such a departure. When we played the record for the A&R guy, the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet, he wanted something more like “California Girls,” “I Get Around” and “Fun, Fun, Fun” because they'd had so much success with that type of thing.

But here's an album with symphonic orchestrations and stuff, dealing more with emotional themes than, you know, the beach or girls or cars, which there's nothing wrong with that stuff. I love it. But they just didn't know how to handle it. Then “Good Vibrations” came along a few months after that and went to No 1. and we were voted the No. 1 group in Great Britain, No. 2 being the Beatles, on the strength of “Good Vibrations.”

“Barbara Ann” came out in the first part of the year, then “Pet Sounds” and “Good Vibrations.” That was quite a year for us, 1966.

That was quite a year for you. Could you address the stories we've all heard that you were not a fan of what Brian had come up with for “Pet Sounds” when you first heard it?

That's really not true. I don't know. There's always been detractors. But no, I worked on every song on that album and even wrote some of the words. So that's absolutely inaccurate. In fact, I named the album “Pet Sounds.” Brian didn't know what to call it. I said, “Well, how about 'Pet Sounds?'” And that led to our going to the San Diego Zoo, the petting zoo, and taking the album cover photo, which is pretty trippy.

Anyway, so yeah, I came up with the title of the album. And I'm the one that presented it to Capitol Records along with Brian. He and I were the ones that took that album and played it for them.

And Capitol was like, “Well, we don’t hear a single?”

Well, they were used to getting these two-, three-minute singles that were so successful. And it was kind of a departure. But hey, that was how many years ago now? It’s all worked out. We do “God Only Knows,” “Sloop John B” and “Wouldn't It Be Nice” at virtually every concert we do. So it's well represented in our shows along with the other singles we've managed to have been blessed enough to have.

I mean, we're one of the top groups ever in terms of number of Top 40 singles.

Mike Love on thought of another reunion with Brian Wilson

You guys reunited with Brian and Al Jardine for a 50th anniversary tour and album. Do you think we'll ever see all the guys come together like that again?

I think maybe it would be interesting if we could get in the studio, but Brian's not doing very well lately. I hope the best for him. And I think it'd be great if we could, but we'll have to see if it actually can happen. Brian hasn't been touring for the last year or so. And I'm not anticipating him going out anymore. In fact, they're putting him in a conservatorship or something. (Multiple news outlets have reported that Wilson's family has asked a court in Los Angeles to set up a conservatorship for Wilson.)

But there is a documentary coming out on the Beach Boys and we ended up getting together at Paradise Cove, the beach where we took our first album cover shots. So it was really nice. Brian and I were reminiscing together, along with the other guys, about stuff that happened when we used to go to high school games together. He remembers things that I'd forgotten. So that was pretty neat, to get together and reminisce with my cousin.

It sounds like you guys are in a better place these days?

Oh yeah, for sure. Yeah, absolutely. Especially with Brian. We go back to childhood together. The first time I remember hearing him sing, I was on my grandmother Wilson's lap singing “Danny Boy.” And we grew up singing all the Everly Brothers songs, Chuck Berry songs and all the doo-wop songs of the day. So we have a lifetime of experiences and love and respect for each other's abilities.

That's sweet. You said you could see getting together in the studio. What did you think of the way “That's Why God Made the Radio” turned out?

Well, I don't know what to say about that in a positive way, because I was told that I was gonna be able to get together with Brian and write. But that was disallowed at the time by I'm not sure who. But anyway, that didn't happen. That was kind of an inducement to me for all of us to get together, actually, but it didn't turn out the way I would've liked it, so.... That's too bad, though. Missed opportunity, I think.

Missing 'Kokomo' at the Beach Boys Grammy tribute

What did you think of that Grammy tribute to the Beach Boys last year?

I thought it was really interesting and really far out. I mean, 'Don't Worry Baby.' 'Sail on Sailor' was really, really interesting. Leann Rimes looked beautiful and sounded great doing 'Caroline, No,' I believe. And then our friends Hanson did 'Barbara Ann.' The only thing I missed was they didn't do 'Kokomo.' Now 'Kokomo' was No. 1 in 1988 and was featured on 'Full House' because John Stamos is a big fan. And we've been recognized by kids for generations now who've seen us on 'Full House' because of the reruns. It's such a popular show. And John Stamos still likes to come out and play drums with us.

Mike Love on the Beach Boys book and forthcoming movie

I know there's a new book 'The Beach Boys by the Beach Boys.' What can you tell me about that?

I'm glad you brought that up. That's by Genesis. They make these fantastic books. They put a ton of work into it with historical stuff, things you've never seen before, things I've never seen before or at least don't remember seeing. But yeah, they're fascinating books.

I think an initial 500 of them completely sold out and they're gonna release some more. They have different levels financially. Some of them are really expensive, and some of them are not quite as, but they're all top quality stuff by Genesis. Those are really great.

And the documentary that's coming out, Frank Marshall, the filmmaker, he was involved in the creation of the documentary that'll be out on, I believe, May 24th. I think we're going to a premiere on the 20th or so in Hollywood. So that's another big thing. And I think it'll stimulate a lot of awareness of The Beach Boys. So a lot of good things are going on these days. We're doing some big festivals like the jazz festival and Stagecoach. So it's a good time for us. We're having a great time.

Mike Love on the latest round of Beach Boys reissues

There's been some interesting reissue projects lately. Box sets combining “Sunflower” and “Surf's Up” and then “Carl and the Passions” and “Holland.” What did you think of those projects?

Great. I mean, “Holland” was a fantastic experience. I lived in Holland for six months. We wanted to get away from L.A. to record it and live in a completely different country. It was pretty fascinating. I thought it was great. In the meantime, we're in Holland doing “California Saga,” a trilogy about Big Sur and stuff. “Holland” was great.

Every album has something special about it. A couple of those albums are where individuals came out with their creativity, whether it be Carl or Brian, Alan or Dennis, Bruce Johnston. Everybody got a chance to be a little bit creative, whereas up through “Pet Sounds” and “Good Vibrations,” primarily Brian was the writer and producer.

I mean, I co-wrote with him tons of words and hooks on all the hit singles, although it wasn't originally credited, because my uncle (Murry Wilson, who managed the Beach Boys until they fired him and controlled their publishing until 1969), frankly, cheated me on that part of things, which, you know.... But that was rectified . Anyway, all the albums had their own personality.

I've been listening to “Friends” a lot lately. Such an underrated album.

That's precisely what I mean. There are many great tunes on some of those lesser-known albums. Every group has its heyday. But we've been blessed enough to hang on to millions of fans who still love to hear our song. So we're very fortunate to be able to do a lifetime of music and still have some of our albums regarded very highly.

Do you have a personal favorite Beach Boys album?

You know what? I don't know. It's like, “Do you have a personal favorite kid?”

The Beach Boys

When: 8 p.m. Friday, April 26.

Where: Talking Stick Resort, Loop 101 and Pima Road, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

Admission: $35 and up.

Details: 480-850-7734, talkingstickresort.com .

Reach the reporter at [email protected] . Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EdMasley .

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets Department' dominates US sales and Billboard charts

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Taylor Swift attends a premiere for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in Los Angeles

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Pop megastar Taylor Swift sold 2.61 million album and streaming units of "The Tortured Poets Department" during its first week of release in the U.S., Billboard reported on Sunday, calling it "a gigantic debut at No. 1" on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

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olivia rodrigo sold out guts world tour new york at madison square garden

An Ode to Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts Tour Tank Tops

At her sold-out shows, the pop sensation has been giving the staple a twist the way only she can

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Of course, Rodrigo didn’t exactly grow up with the Sex and the City generation. In fact, the Grammy-winning pop hit machine celebrated her first birthday a mere two days before the HBO series’ final episode aired. But it seems that in early adulthood, she has found comfort in the hilarious, brash, and often messy lives of its four protagonists. (Oh, and like this author, Rodrigo identifies as a Carrie .)

So what better way to share that than with a personalized top that serves as a billboard for the thousands of fans who’ve been packing stadiums across the country to see her (as well as the countless more viewing clips online)? As a way to reference her favorite pieces of pop culture and project jokes and more to the audience, Rodrigo’s tank tops have become one of the most winning aspects of her Guts World Tour .

As with the SATC tank she wore for her Big Apple audience, the singer has used her tops to spotlight culture from the turn of the millennium, a time period that has interested her since the beginning of her career. Longtime fans will recall when Rodrigo celebrated the 2021 release of her debut album, Sour , with a live, prom-themed set on YouTube, and the promotional art winked to the cover of Hole’s Live Through This . Then there was the “Good 4 U” video , for which Rodrigo donned a cheerleading uniform identical to Mandy Moore’s from The Princess Diaries (2001).

As the Guts tour rages on, such nods have only become been more plentiful and expansive, encompassing everything from TLC’s “No Scrubs” to the Beatles’ “I’m Down.” At her first show in Palm Springs, the Disney alum rocked a tank that said, “I’m Just a Girl,” in homage to No Doubt’s 1995 hit debut single. Fittingly, a little over a month later, the pop star took a break from her tour to join No Doubt onstage at Coachella , where she wore another tank—one bedazzled with “I ❤️ ND.”

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With these winks, it doesn’t feel like the “Vampire” artist is simply trying to appeal to the generations before her (and they don’t reek of “born in the wrong era” Tumblrcore either). Instead, the nods speak to the genuine approach Rodrigo takes to making her music. Throughout her shows, she has brought out ’90s–’00s stars like Jewel and Sheryl Crow, arguably surprising guests for a singer of her age, whose fan base pools in the tween-to-teen age bracket. But an obvious thread connects the work of these icons and the new hitmaker: Rodrigo simply wants to extend her appreciation to the greats who’ve inspired her confessional songwriting, and her tank tops have become her newest outlet for doing so.

At the same time, the tanks also perfectly capture Rodrigo’s cheeky sense of humor. Tracks like “All-American Bitch” and “Bad Idea Right?” explore themes of feminism and sexuality with dry humor and impressive depth. Onstage, she’s brought this same sauciness to her tanks.

At one performance, “ Ne pas toucher ” was splashed across Rodrigo’s chest. (That’s French for “Do not touch.”) At another, her shirt said: “I kiss better than I cook.” With plenty of songs about disappointing men in her discography, Rodrigo obviously knows what it’s like to date a dud, and one of her tops—hearkening back to Britney Spears’s memorable ’02 baby tee —simply instructed her fans to “Dump him.”

Even Rodrigo’s friends have been getting in on the fun, like fellow singer and Gen Z star Conan Gray, who featured on the star’s Instagram in a tank that said: “U call urself a Livie? Name 10 Olivia Rodriguez songs …” (a reference to this viral TikTok ).

I honestly can’t think of a better garment to become the Rodrigo staple than the tank top—at least for right now. It’s understated, playful, and reliable. Like her discography, Rodrigo’s style isn’t afraid to embrace her youth and her passions. With a fusion of Clueless schoolgirl prep and early-’00s Avril Lavigne punk , the singer-songwriter dresses like an actual 21-year-old—a stylish one who wears vintage Versace on the red carpet , mind you , but still, one who knows who she is and what she wants. Only time will tell how Rodrigo’s style continues to evolve with her career. For now, as the tank declares: She’s just a girl.

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Joel is the editorial and social media assistant for HarpersBAZAAR.com, where he covers all things celebrity news. When he steps away from the keyboard, you can likely find him singing off-key at concerts, scavenging thrift stores for loud wardrobe staples, or perusing bookstores for the next great gay romance novel.

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John Lennon's lost guitar found in loft after 50 years to go up for auction

Estimated to fetch more than £600,000, auctioneers believe the 12-string acoustic guitar used in the recording of The Beatles' Help! album and film, could set a new world record as "the highest-selling Beatles guitar".

Wednesday 24 April 2024 08:11, UK

A guitar used by John Lennon in the recording of The Beatles album and film Help! is going up for auction after being found in a loft.

Believed to have been lost, the 12-string acoustic guitar had not been seen or played for more than 50 years before it was rediscovered in the home of a British couple.

It is now going up for auction where it is estimated to fetch between £485,000 to £647,000.

Auctioneers believe it could set a "new world record for the highest-selling Beatles guitar".

The Hootenanny model, made by German firm Framus, was used by the Liverpool band in the 1965 Help! film, specifically in the scene when the group perform You've Got To Hide Your Love Away.

It was also used during the recording sessions for It's Only Love and I've Just Seen A Face and Girl along with the rhythm track for Norwegian Wood played by George Harrison.

John Lennon's Lost 1965 'Help!' Guitar Goes On Display At London's Hard Rock Cafe Ahead Of Auction ** STORY AVAILABLE, CONTACT SUPPLIER** Where: London, United Kingdom When: 23 Apr 2024 Credit: Cover Images (Cover Images via AP Images)

"Finding this remarkable instrument is like finding a lost Rembrandt or Picasso, and it still looks and plays like a dream after having been preserved in an attic for more than 50 years," said Darren Julien, co-founder and executive director at auction house Julien's Auctions.

"To awaken this sleeping beauty is a sacred honour and is a great moment for music, Julien's, Beatles and auction history."

It is believed the guitar came to be in the possession of Scottish guitarist Gordon Waller, known for being one half of the pop duo Peter & Gordon, who later gave it to his band's road managers in the 1970s.

Read more: Four Beatles films in the works

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

It is not the first piece of Beatles memorabilia to be rediscovered.

In February, Sir Paul McCartney was reunited with his 1961 Hofner bass guitar , which he used on songs such as Twist And Shout and She Loves You.

Julien's Auctions has previously sold another Lennon acoustic guitar for $2.4m (£1.93m), Ringo Starr's Ludwig drum kit was purchased for $2.2m (£1.77m) and a Ludwig drumhead bass used on The Ed Sullivan Show was auctioned at $2.1m (£1.64m).

The Hootenanny guitar will go up for auction along with the guitar's Maton Australian-made case as part of Julien's Music Icons two-day auction on 29 and 30 May.

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Also being sold at the auction is an Adam Clayton stage-played and owned rose sparkle Fender bass guitar, used at the U2 Las Vegas Sphere shows, which has an estimate of $50,000 to 70,000 (£40,199 to £56,279).

Tina Turner's Versace dress, worn during her 1996 to 1997 Wildest Dreams Tour, and Amy Winehouse's Black Fendi gown made for the opening of the clothes shop during Paris Fashion Week, are also up for auction.

Rock trailblazer Heart reunites for a world tour and a new song

FILE - Nancy Wilson, left, and Ann Wilson, right, of the band Heart perform as Heart is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Nokia Theatre on Thursday, April 18, 2013 in Los Angeles. Heart — the pioneering band that melds Nancy Wilson’s shredding guitar with her sister Ann’s powerhouse vocals — is hitting the road this spring for a world tour that Nancy Wilson describes as “the full-on rocker size.” (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Nancy Wilson, left, and Ann Wilson of Heart perform on opening night of the Heartbreaker Tour at the Cruzan Amphitheater in West Palm Beach, Fla., June 17, 2013. Heart — the pioneering band that melds Nancy Wilson’s shredding guitar with her sister Ann’s powerhouse vocals — is hitting the road this spring for a world tour that Nancy Wilson describes as “the full-on rocker size.” (Photo by Jeff Daly/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Nancy and Ann Wilson of the classic rock band Heart perform in concert at the American Music Theater on Monday, March 24, 2014, in Lancaster, Pa. Heart — the pioneering band that melds Nancy Wilson’s shredding guitar with her sister Ann’s powerhouse vocals — is hitting the road this spring for a world tour that Nancy Wilson describes as “the full-on rocker size.” (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP, File)

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NEW YORK (AP) — Heart — the pioneering band that melds Nancy Wilson’s shredding guitar with her sister Ann’s powerhouse vocals — is hitting the road this spring and fall for a world tour that Nancy Wilson describes as “the full-on rocker size.”

“I’ve been strengthening. I’ve got my trainer,” she says. “You go one day at a time and you strengthen one workout session at a time. It’s a lot of work, but it’s the only job I know how to do.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers who gave us classic tracks like “Magic Man,” “Crazy on You” and “Alone” will be playing all the hits, some tracks from of their solo albums — like Ann Wilson’s “Miss One and Only” and Nancy Wilson’s “Love Mistake” — and a new song called “Roll the Dice.”

FILE - Nancy Wilson, left, and Ann Wilson of Heart perform on opening night of the Heartbreaker Tour at the Cruzan Amphitheater in West Palm Beach, Fla., June 17, 2013. Heart — the pioneering band that melds Nancy Wilson’s shredding guitar with her sister Ann’s powerhouse vocals — is hitting the road this spring for a world tour that Nancy Wilson describes as “the full-on rocker size.” (Photo by Jeff Daly/Invision/AP, File)

Nancy Wilson, left, and Ann Wilson perform on opening night of the Heartbreaker Tour in West Palm Beach, Fla., June 17, 2013. (Photo by Jeff Daly/Invision/AP, File)

“I like to say we have really good problems because the problem we have is to choose between a bunch of different, really cool songs that people love already,” says Nancy Wilson.

Like “Barracuda,” a sonic burst which first appeared on the band’s second album, “Little Queen” and is one of the band’s most memorable songs.

“You can’t mess with ‘Barracuda.’ It’s just the way it is. It is great. You get on the horse and you ride. It’s a galloping steed of a ride to go on. And for everybody, including the band.”

The tour kicks off Saturday at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, and will hit cities including Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Detroit, as well as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado. International dates include stops in London, Oslo, Berlin, Stockholm, Montreal and Glasgow.

The band’s Royal Flush Tour will have Cheap Trick as the opening act for many stops, but Def Leppard and Journey will join for three stadium dates in Cleveland, Toronto and Boston this summer.

Ann and Nancy Wilson will be filled out by Ryan Wariner (lead and rhythm guitar), Ryan Waters (guitars), Paul Moak (guitars, keyboards and backing vocals), Tony Lucido (bass and backing vocals) and Sean T. Lane (drums).

The tour is the first in several years for Heart, which was rocked by a body blow in 2016 when Ann Wilson’s husband was arrested for assaulting Nancy’s 16-year-old twin sons. Nancy Wilson says that’s all in the past.

“We can take any kind of turbulence, me and Ann, and we’ve always been OK together,” she says. “We’re still steering the ship and happy to do it together. So we’re tight.”

The new tour will take them to Canada, which was warm to the band when they were starting out as what Nancy Wilson calls “a couple of chicks from Seattle.” She recalls Vancouver embracing Heart, and touring in one van across Canada in the dead of winter on two lane highways.

FILE - Nancy and Ann Wilson of the classic rock band Heart perform in concert at the American Music Theater on Monday, March 24, 2014, in Lancaster, Pa. Heart — the pioneering band that melds Nancy Wilson’s shredding guitar with her sister Ann’s powerhouse vocals — is hitting the road this spring for a world tour that Nancy Wilson describes as “the full-on rocker size.” (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP, File)

The Wilsons at the American Music Theater on Monday, March 24, 2014, in Lancaster, Pa. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP, File)

The Wilson sisters broke rock’s glass ceiling in the ‘70s and Nancy Wilson says they only had male influences to look to, like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Moody Blues.

Now she says she looks out and loves seeing generations of female rockers. “You have boygenius and you have Billie Eilish and you have Olivia Rodrigo and so many amazing women — Maggie Rogers and Sheryl Crow, who calls us her big influence. And then Billie Eilish might have Sheryl Crow as her influence. So it’s a really nice legacy to pass along. I like to say we’re the OG — the original gangsters — of women and rock.”

Heart has made it into the Rock Hall, won Grammys, sold millions of albums and rocked hundreds of thousands of fans but Nancy Wilson has one place she’d still like to shine.

Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of their debut album, “Dreamboat Annie,” which was the same year that “Saturday Night Live” started. “So we’re actually kind of putting it out there — Heart never played on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ But what about the 50th birthday party with Heart?”

Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

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Taylor Swift beats Beatles in race to 12th UK number one album

LONDON - Taylor Swift topped the British music charts on April 26 with The Tortured Poets Department , outselling the rest of the top ten combined and beating the Beatles for the record of fastest artist to rack up 12 UK number one albums.

“Poets” delivered the biggest opening week for an album in the UK in seven years, and means Swift ties Madonna for female artist with the most UK no. 1 albums in Official Albums Chart history.

“No other artist has notched up 12 no. 1 albums in such a short space of time. Taylor Swift has done it in 11 years and 6 months,” the Official Charts Company said. “This surpasses The Beatles, who managed the feat in 14 years and one month.”

Swift’s first single from the album “Fortnight”, a collaboration with Post Malone, topped the UK singles chart.

“Poets” also topped charts in Australia and is set to do the same in the US.

Soon after its release April 19, Spotify and Amazon Music said the recording was their most streamed album in a day.

On April 24, Spotify said “Poets” was its most-streamed album in a single week, surpassing one billion streams.

“We’re past the stage where you can be surprised by Taylor Swift’s achievements ... every time you think she’s reached a ceiling, she appears to go beyond it with the with the next release,” journalist and music industry expert Mark Sutherland said.

“She’s setting the bar so high in an era when it’s much, much harder to get that kind of universal popularity.”

Swift has been setting music industry milestones and boosting local economies with her Eras Tour, which resumes in Paris next month.

Time magazine named her its 2023 Person of the Year, citing her musical feats and wider influence.

Swift announced “Poets” in February at the Grammys, where she won a fourth Album of the Year prize for her 2022 record “Midnights”. REUTERS

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“The affidavit of [Forest Hill Garden’s] expert wherein he concluded that the noise complained of was approximately 100 times the legal limit for the residential neighborhood was unrebutted by competent proof and the affidavits of the residents detailed the nightly assault ton the quiet enjoyment of their respective homes,” the April 19 ruling said.

The stadium’s owners must hire a contractor to monitor noise and file the findings while putting up barricades to keep concertgoers from wandering into the neighborhood.

They also have to get a sound permit from the city.

More shows at Forest Hills Stadium in recent years.

A separate bid by another local group, Concerned Citizens of Forest Hills, which sought to shut down shows at the venue altogether was shot down by another judge.

Supreme Court Justice Robert Caloras agreed that noise monitoring made sense but denied a request to cancel shows, and noted that the venue “has extended great effort and expense to implement noise mitigation measures” and deserved to have the summer concert calendar kick off as planned.

The 13,000-seat landmark stadium, run by West Side Tennis Club and opened in 1923, has hosted world-famous performers including The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra and The Rolling Stones.

In recent years the number of events has increased — and so has the noise level and frequency of patrons spilling out onto local streets, neighbors contend.

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Chris Jaray, 46, has lived in the neighborhood his whole life, and his family owned the house across from the stadium for almost 100 years. He said he used to like the concerts until it became too much.

“At first I was a fan, when there was 15 of them and it was kind of low key,” Jaray told The Post. “But when they started adding 30 of them and then there all day. Some of them the noise is ridiculous like when they have the drum and bass shows, my house really shakes.

“So I’m not a fan of that,” Jaray said. “If they scale it back to the 15 concerts the way they originally had it — the other thing is, those 30-plus concerts is every weekend in the summer.”

The association sued the stadium’s overseers in May 2023, seeking a break from the noise.

Concerts can go on at Forest Hills Stadiuim.

Anthony Oprisiu, president of the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation board of directors, said they tried — and failed — to work out a deal with West Side Tennis Club.

“Our community was forced to sue the West Side Tennis Club after the club and its for-profit concert operator, Tiebreaker, brazenly refused to coordinate with us overuse and closure of streets, noise levels, concert logistics and TRIPLING the original number of events they promised when concerts returned to the stadium ten years ago after a halt of over a decade,” he said in a statement.

“We’re appreciative that the court heard our concerns and made this decision,” Oprisiu added.

“We look forward to working with West Side Tennis Club, Tiebreaker, city agencies, and City Hall to ensure 2024 events follow the law and demonstrate more respect towards our community while the remainder of this important lawsuit is resolved by the Court.”

But West Side Tennis wouldn’t go away quietly, serving the civic group with a countersuit in September.

“The Forest Hills Stadium is an iconic venue that has always sought to minimize its impact on local residents and comply with the law throughout its one-hundred-year history,” Akiva Shapiro of the law firm of Gibson Dunn, which represents West Side Tennis Club, said in a statement last week.

“It will continue to do so in connection with the recent orders of Justices Esposito and Caloras of the Queens Supreme Court, and looks forward to the opportunity presented by the orders to implement a security plan that will ensure concertgoers’ entry and exit in an orderly manner, and to have an independent sound monitor report on Stadium sound levels,” Shapiro said.

“The Stadium looks forward to hosting the fast-approaching concert season.”

In its countersuit, the stadium complained that civic group was acting “in bad faith” in discussions with West Side Tennis and was guilty of “repeated and intentional misrepresentation” of the dispute.

And despite the long-running feud, some locals interviewed by The Post said they’re still kind of fond of the 100-year-old concert venue in their backyard.

“I’m a supporter of the stadium” said resident Juliana Chessin. “I think for young families it’s really fun. They close the streets down, my son rides his scooter and we go hang out in the Forest Hills Center.

“For us, it’s been a really nice, fun thing to have in the neighborhood and I think it’s something that makes the neighborhood special,” Chessin said.

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