How This Song Made America Fall In Love With The Beatles

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60 years ago this week, The Beatles topped the U.S. chart for the first time with 'I Want To Hold Your Hand'. The song unlocked another level of fame, not just in America but in so many other countries around the world. In this video we look at how this single was made and using contemporary media find out how the British and American public reacted to it. We also discover how The Beatles fared in Paris just before that historic arrival on February 7th 1964.
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Thank you!

[@michaelrochester48]

I still think “it won’t be long” should’ve been a single. It is one of my favorite Beatles songs from the early time.

[@federalisticnewyorkians4470]

Album tracks can’t be on a single

[@michaelrochester48]

@@federalisticnewyorkians4470 in the UK. But in the United States and elsewhere, that was not the case.

[@jms1963]

@@federalisticnewyorkians4470 Where on God's green earth did you ever get that idea?

[@federalisticnewyorkians4470]

True. @@michaelrochester48

[@federalisticnewyorkians4470]

just a preference, also the Beatles disagreed with that ( although they didn't stick fully to it)@@jms1963

[@prettyshinyspaghetti8332]

I'm actually super fascinated when I hear lukewarm or even negative contemporary reactions of the Beatles. We're so used to always seeing high praise about everything they ever did, but these other views actually humanize them. It adds a much more realistic view of something that became a huge phenomenon

[@billythedog-309]

Yes, but l've read a few contemporary reviews by American music critics and many of their remarks are quite vindictive and indicate closed minds when compared to the more enlightened British critics. Perhaps, this was because the Beatles were a foreign act, but the level of personal dislike of the group is striking.

[@keithbertschin1213]

At every turn they brought something to the table that had never been seen, some people get it right away, others don’t. Even Sgt Pepper got mixed reception and you think, how?!

[@Nina5144]

It was the old fogies who gave negative comments -

[@rocknroll_jezus9233]

Rock and roll was very young then and thought of as just a fad. It's no surprise that not every adult especially American were pleased with the Fab fours "guitar music"

[@Billthemusicman]

Wow! as a first gen fan from that night in February on the Sullivan show, I want to hold your hand holds a special place unlike really any other Beatles tune. At only 9 years old, I am certainly one of the youngest 1st gen fans, but my love for them just continued to grow through the 60s and on to today. Thank you for carrying the torch for these four guys that changed so many of our lives. Your channel is unlike any other, and this video with its wonderful content and history proves it. Thank you!

[@Parlogram]

Glad you enjoyed it, Bill!

[@stanleyhoward1893]

Not the youngest I'm a 1st Gen fan I was 5 in 1964.

[@bwpm1467]

​@@Parlogram When did you publish this (excellent) video, Andrew? Some comments are marked as being from yesterday?!

[@Parlogram]

@@bwpm1467 Channel members get to see the video a day early. kzbin.info/door/AIfWsWcFwncQv_ETAOL-Egjoin

[@tomcat3360]

I, too, was 9 and will never forget seeing them on Ed Sullivan: I still have that 45: one of the first I bought.

[@neiltheblaze]

American here. The first time I heard "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (age 11) I was knocked for a loop. I was a big guitar fan - but the guitar guys weren't really having hits anymore - since Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly died, probably. A lot of crooners, a lot of one-hit doo-wop groups, a lot of novelty records - mostly boring. When I heard "Hand" on the radio for the first time, I'd never heard guitars ring out like that on a big hit record on the radio before. It blew me away. You're right about the mix on the single release - it jumps off the turntable. That single sounded hot at the time. And "I Saw Her Standing There" on the b-side (though, my local radio treated it like a double-A side - without any complaints from me) made this the hottest rock and roll single I'd ever heard. I practically wore out the record trying to decipher the guitar parts. The lyrics were kind of whatever Tin-Pan Alley stuff, but the sound of the combined instruments seemed like one voice. The way they wove it all together was amazing to me. You get a good example of Lennon's unique sense of off-rhythm on this one. He has the quirkiest sense of rhythm in rock and roll. Completely unique.

[@Stumptonian1]

I remember my mother calling us to the living room "Those Beatles are on Jack Paar!" My cousin in England had sent us newspaper clippings about them with words like Fab! and Gear! written on them. I was 10 and my life was about to change, music-wise. Especially after February 9th .... P.S. this was in a suburb of Vancouver, Canada.

[@BaileyGrott]

Thank-you Andrew!! My Beatles experience began in 1964 (6 years old!) when I watched them on Ed Sullivan as a kid singing: "She Loves You . . yeah, yeah, yeah !!!" standing on a basement steamer trunk with badminton racquets with my siblings. I even got a Capitol EP for my birthday called "4 by the Bratles" with Roll Over Beetoven/This Boy, etc. which I still have . . . . .great old memories !! Greetings from Dan, Indiana USA

[@FiveLiver]

I't a pity that The Beatles never attained the levels of success and fame as Joey Dee and the Starlighters.

[@timrose9175]

LOL!!

[@curtandoscar]

It is! Just a terrible pity!

[@strikerorwell9232]

Or Gerry and The Pacemakers. John said in the fictional movie where Ian Hart (Back Beat, The Hours and Times) who played John Lennon in three movies, made a true statement John made in 1972 "We could have been as great as the Hollies". Its anyone guess if he was sincere?

[@FiveLiver]

@@strikerorwell9232 My comment was sarcastic. No one has ever heard of Joey Dee and the Starlighters. Gerry and The Pacemakers' first three singles went to number one, so by that index they were more successful than The Beatles.

[@The8347135]

Seems harsh to compare them to JD&TSL, they never really stood a chance to compete against those titans of the industry

[@buddygreco2348]

Once again tremendous work Andrew. I'll never forget my excitement when my older sister played that 45 for the first time. My whole world changed...and obviously for the better...One item that blew me away was the newspaper article which mentioned my Dad Buddy Greco having talked about the Beatles...I wasn't ready for that and a big smile crossed my face. Dad and George ended up having a lifelong friendship...Thank you Andrew! This brightened my day!!

[@gns423]

Very cool! I remember your dad’s recording of ‘The Lady Is A Tramp’. I was about 5 or 6 when I first heard that and I thought it was funny and a cool song.😊

[@buddygreco2348]

@gns423 Thank you so much. Yes Dad had the number 1 with that song. Sorry Frank 😄

[@williamearl1662]

I remember Buddy Greco as a kid. He was one of the smooth and sophisticated singers from the US, like Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennet, Bobby Darin ect, that the UK never did too well. Very interesting about the friendship with George. Thank you for posting.

[@buddygreco2348]

@williamearl1662 Thanks for remembering my Dad who was incredibly talented. So popular in England as well. He toured there every year for decades and I accompanied him in 2009 playing drums all around the UK. He and George were good friends. He's pictured in his book I Me Mine with the Beatles..Awesome piano player too. One of the greatest!

[@WanderfulHealingTedP]

February 9, 1964, Auntie Lora and Uncle John came to visit us after spending the day in NYC. They said that the crowd in Times Square near the Ed Sullivan Theatre was the craziest thing they had ever seen. They stayed to watch the Sullivan show with us. I was 9 and will never forget that Sunday night.

[@misternewoutlook5437]

The very first Beatles song I can remember. Still a favorite. I recall reading how shocked Brian Wilson was and other US artists too. The Beatles took over. They weren't just stars anymore. They were superstars.

[@cradio52]

These videos are always so well done, it’s crazy - they’re each high quality mini-documentaries rather than simple “KZbin videos.” You can really tell how much work goes just to the research, writing, filming and editing… just great work all around! I never miss one!

[@Parlogram]

Glad you like them!

[@danjones4326]

This is the very first song I remember hearing on the radio. I was four in 1964. It had a big impact on me. Almost sixty years later and i still remember the feeling.

[@JoJoJoker]

It Won’t Be Long is such a rocker. It’s a shame we never saw a live version of it.

[@idaslpdhr]

'I want to hold your hand' was amazing , I used to listen to it on a small transistor radio on Radio Luxembourg under the sheets after bedtime and wait for it every hour on the hour

[@richardleclear]

Andrew, more great content! Of course, since I am American, I have never heard or read much of the UK music pubs reactions and interviews regarding this period in Beatles history. It was great to hear! My earliest childhood memory was of sitting on a swing in Spring of '64 singing I Want To Hold Your Hand, at which time I was the ripe old age of 5! Cheers mate, great memories!

[@Parlogram]

Glad it bought back some good memories, Richard!

[@magneto7930]

I remember the 45 for I Want to Hold Your Hand floating around my house not long after I learned how to talk. Like many Americans, they became the soundtrack to my whole childhood and beyond! Whatever house I visited, Meet the Beatles was in their record collection. Mine was among the 73 million homes to tune in to The Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. Great memories! And as always, another fantastic upload!

[@Musicradio77Network]

I do have the original 45 of “I Want To Hold Your Hand” in my collection. It was their first big #1 hit in the US.

[@moondogaudiojones1146]

Andrew you’ve done it again! I’m sitting here quite choked up and beaming a smile from ear to ear…this episode went by quickly I might add…and enjoyed every second of it. I will never forget when I bought that first single. Our family didn’t even have a record player in the house, but neighbors did. So yeah, this was the enlightenment of a pre-teen brain of things to come. Great episode! Thanks

[@Parlogram]

Thanks Brian. Glad it bought back some good memories.

[@denniswood1437]

Wow! This wonderful presentation really brings one back to late 1963 & early 1964, when "I want to Hold Your Hand" first entered the charts in the UK & then the USA and all over the world. I love Marsha Albert's introduction of the song on Carroll James Washington DC radio show.

[@rodrigosilvamartins4983]

Great content, Andrew, thanks a lot! Brought me back sweet memories. My mom moved from São Paulo (Brazil) to New York in late January 1964 only to be caught up in the middle of Beatlemania's fuzz. This is one of my favorite stories she used to tell me when I was a kid starting to fall in love with The Beatles: "Imagine being a 20 year old Brazilian girl who had just arrived in the United States of the 1960s who until then barely spoke English, and all you saw around were American teens running frantically after a certain British pop group. All I knew about music was Samba and Bossa Nova." She became a fan the next day, and returned to Brazil three years before bringing in the bag several Beatles records (I still have three of them, all in very poor condition: United Artists stereo "A Hard Day’s Night", Capitol stereo "Beatles ’65", and Capitol stereo "Yesterday… And Today"), and a Shea Stadium ticket stub from August 15, 1965, when that certain British pop group performed there the first rock concert in a stadium. Not many Brazilians had the same opportunity at that time.

[@strikerorwell9232]

I spoke with a few Swedish Rock Stars in the 90s who were playing in Hamburg Germany at the Star Club and hung out with the Beatles and got to know them. They were the reason the Beatles came to Sweden first when they went abroad and not only played a couple of gigs but a whole tour in Sweden with their Swedish pals "Jerry Williams and the Violents" as the introducing band.

[@colinduff2922]

I'll never forget walking in to David Jones (a department store in Sydney, Australia) record bar on Saturday, December 14, 1963 to buy a copy of "I Want To Hold Your Hand", which had been released 2 days earlier in Australia. The lady behind the counter said "this record is flying off the shelves, we can't keep up with the demand". By Christmas it was #1 and stayed there for 6 weeks.I still have that single. It makes me shiver every time I play it (loud). The Beatles were unstoppable.

[@Parlogram]

Great memories!

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

Thanks for reassessing and putting this record into context. Today, due to overplaying and the tendency to use it as the butt of criticism (literally every online comment: "Look at how the Beatles went from 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' to 'A Day in the Life' in 3 years ... ad nauseum), it is important to capture the revolutionary flavor of the times and the import of this record in comparison to what had come before.

[@Edux17]

A magistral and well documented way to dispel a Beatles' myth! Well done, Andrew! Regards!

[@jimc8186]

Great Special Andrew! It just so happens that Bruce Spizer's book "The Beatles Are Coming!" and this video virtually arrived at the same time. How fortunate for me as they perfectly compliment each other. I was only 8 years old at the time, but my mom let me stay up late that Sunday night to watch the Beatles performance on Ed Sullivan. The next day she bought "Meet The Beatles" for us to play on our "Nail/Record Player." Still one of my favorite albums to this day. Thanks for triggering some fond memories. Cheers!

[@Parlogram]

Great memories! Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@FinarfinNoldorin]

I remember those days like it was yesterday. It was such a wonderful and magical time to grow up with the music that had taken over my heart like a tidal wave. I am 74 now, and the Beatles have always been a part of my life, They always will be. Love is eternal, and there is no death. When it is time for me to leave this Earth, I have wonderful memories to take with me.

[@elwin38]

Big fan of the Beatles but this was before my time(born 1968). Didnt become a Beatles fan until Spring of 1981. This song influenced the world. As soon as America heard this song(end of '63), game over!! 🎶🎶

[@davidm7840]

1964 was such a landmark year. I’m glad you are doing these reviews, they are outstanding.

[@kirahastings9900]

I was 17, going to secretarial school in San Francisco. The Beatles were heavily promoted and their songs were always on the radio. The large downtown Woolworth's had a whole counter at the front entrance playing Meet the Beatles constantly. They also handed out a free newspaper about them, misspelling McCartney and mixing him up with George Harrison. My friends and I got caught up in the fun of the whole thing and went to another dimestore and bought ID bracelets with our favorite Beatle's name on them. Since my knowledge was based on the wrong ID from that free newspaper, I ended up with Paul instead of George. By the time of their Ed Sullivan appearance, I was sick of them and watched to see them fall on their faces. Instead, I fell in love and after 60 years, I still am -- and I still have that bracelet.

[@Parlogram]

Great memories! Thanks for sharing them!

[@garyslogan]

What a terrifically well-researched piece that gives context to their "overnight" success. The timing of things during the ramp-up to the Ed Sullivan Show (certain things about it being accidental and pure kismet) was great to see in this video! Lots of those American kids based overseas who were quoted in the paper saying that the Beatles weren't likely to go over well in the States sure had to eat their hats, haha. Thanks, as always!

[@timfisher5925]

Fabulous upload with many new nuggets of interesting info that must have taken ages to put together so thank you! One of the Beatles landmark singles and certainly one of the most important of their career in terms of breaking America. I used to work around the corner from Wimpole St and passed it each morning to go to work at a pastry chef in a shop there. Its amazing to think such an important song was written there in that unassuming building. I saw an interview with Peter Asher who says that John and Paul invited him to hear it in the basement and he was in fact the first person to hear it after it was finished. Great work as always Andrew

[@Parlogram]

Thanks Tim. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@MrRETEROROB]

Andrew, that was fantastic. I've read that WWDC really one-upped the 2 big Rock stations in the DC area at that time, WPGC and WEAM. WWDC very soon inserted a ' This is a WWDC Exclusive' message during the playing of I Want To Hold Your Hand, to keep the other 2 stations from recording this and playing the song themselves. and WWDC wasn't even fully a Rock station, so this was an epic experience for them.

[@Parlogram]

Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the info!

[@adrianmorris2628]

Always love it when one of these films drop. Looking forward to seeing it....right now!

[@danswan1047]

At seven years old I had only heard She Loves You because my mom bought the picture sleeve for me because it had our last name on it (swan). The Ed Sullivan Show was a Sunday tradition in our house, so I was primed for the experience. I’ll never forget what it felt like seeing The Beatles play live on our little T. V. set. It changed my life forever.

[@trublu71]

Being a second generation fan every time I hear I Want To Hold Your Hand the excitement and hopefulness of that time. And the freshness of the Beatles go through my mind! So glad we have the music and videos to hold on to the memories. Thanks for another great video Andrew.

[@Parlogram]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@thomasryan9639]

This song still gives me goosebumps!! When I learned how to play the guitar, this was one of the first songs I wanted to learn, but I didn't find it😮 till years later. Still one of my favorite Beatles songs.

[@HarryBalz-mx3ss]

Thanks a million Andrew. You really knocked this one out of the park! I’ve viewed a number of your videos but this one takes the cake. When you spoke of the way that this song makes you FEEL when listening to it, well that’s it, isn’t it! YEAH, YEAH, YEAH! ❤

[@Parlogram]

Thanks Harry. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@FlamingoKicker]

"From Me To You" actually charted for the Beatles under Vee-Jay Records in the Midwest (not much on the two Coasts of course) so that didn't really matter. But I saw a copy of Billboard once that showed the Beatles were around #34 or so in 1963. Ironically, Jan and Dean had a recording of the song "Linda" out at the same time and it was up in the 20s (I don't remember the exact position) on the same list. For those that don't know "Linda" was written about the baby Linda Eastman (later Linda McCartney).

[@StephiSensei26]

ZAP! Terrific show! Especially enjoyed the George Harrison article upon their arrival in the U.S.. FAB!

[@robertfontaine356]

Excellent use of archival material. The consciousness of youth is so fragmented now (with everyone grooving in their own ittle bubble) that it is unimaginable today for a mass phenomenon like the Beatles to happen. We will not see their like again.

[@hombre1965]

Even as a child, I was into music and when we first heard the Beatles, their sound was like nothing heard before. I don’t know if it was their odd Liverpool accents juicing up their harmonies or what, but it was fresh and entrancing. In six decades now, nothing new like that has ever happened.

[@DarrylRuiz-s1w]

Hard to describe the excitement we felt when we first heard this song and Meet the Beatles Music changed forever and thats no exaggeration

[@maynotlast1]

One of your best! I actually got a little choked up with the clip of the girl on Washington DC radio introducing the Beatles “for the very first time” on American radio.

[@Nina5144]

Seeing the 45 brings back so many memories and emotions. Playing it on mum’s radiogram

[@maynotlast1]

“I Want to Hold Your Hand” was also MY first introduction to the Beatles… but it was in 1974 on a 10th anniversary CBS TV special about the original Ed Sullivan appearance. (I think)

[@deusdedithkojiuchino9349]

This song opened the doors for America and start Beatlemania.I Want To Hold Your Hand sale millions of copies and was top of parede there.Great in hear history about group yet.Uchino of Japan.I see you Andrew.

[@v.2080]

That was fun, thanks!🎉❤ We watched The Ed Sullivan Show together, my mother and my stepfather. It was amazing! We only lived 25 miles north of New York city, and I wasn't 10 years old yet. I wish I had been a bit older at that time. Most of my entire youth was spent listening to Beatles records.

[@Parlogram]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@fliegeroh]

I was 10 when the Beatles broke in America. I remember when I couldn't tell one Beatle's face from the other. They all looked alike to me. They were the soundtrack of my youth and they brought so much joy.

[@alm5693]

I was in fourth grade US when The Beatles played on Ed Sullivan. My fifth grade sister was hip to some of the advance buzz about the band, but it hit me like a cannonball. Dad was grousing about their looks and saying that "they laughed all the way to the bank", but for the first time, I had a mission, and I had a radio in my room, and it felt like a door had been thrown open on a new life that was going to save me.

[@markjamesmeli2520]

First of all, brilliant as usual Andrew!! It's great that those quotes from George (toward the end of the piece) are so spot on. And proof of that is the quotes and clippings from news stories in the video. Everybody thought they were music critics that had the "final say," especially if they were brand new, evolving, American fans. In the US press back then, "quantity" reigned over "quality."

[@morrisonAV]

Excellent job, Andrew. I loved this one as it brought back some great memories. I was 10 years old when they hit the US and many of us were never the same again.

[@peterrichard3706]

I was 9 when i first heard I wanna hold your hand, long time fan ever since. Im 68 now.

[@edryba4867]

I once had a copy of that Capitol 45 RPM record! I don’t know if my copy even exists anymore. I have moved NINE times since that record was originally released, and I haven’t seen it in decades. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I saw that Capitol label during my decades of Radio work, from which I am now officially retired. Thanks, Andrew! I always enjoy your work.

[@Parlogram]

Much appreciated, Ed!

[@grahampaulkendrick7845]

I was surprised and pleased to hear of the Beatles' success on that first trip. I hadn't really expected anything like the US reaction. Great edition, Andrew.

[@Joe-bx4wn]

Its a Rockin, thumping, banging HIT! Plus they were clean cut, adorable and each had charisma. Impossible NOT TO LIKE THEM.

[@matthall5336]

It was funny, your pronunciation of Maryland (USA). But, seriously... I grew up in the 80s and I knew The Beatles by 3 songs: I Want to Hold Your Hand, Twist and Shout (thanks Ferris Buehler), and Let It Be. They were probably the most frequent Beatles songs played on the radio station my mom listened to. A few years later, I found my mom's 45 of IWTHYH and played it endlessly on my fisher price record player. I didn't care much for I Saw Her Standing There until years later (now perhaps my favorite beatles song). I now own 3 copies of the Capital 45, and 2 of them have picture sleeves. Great story behind the song!

[@Nina5144]

How else is Maryland pronounced

[@georgeharrison5362]

Andrew...we need to showcase the songs of others around these Beatle releases ...to show how revolutionary they sounded.

[@alienskinmusic]

agree

[@jamescpotter]

Now this 45 rpm story is interesting. Back in November 1963, I was living in Salt Lake City, Utah. One afternoon my 14 year old brother and I (11 as my 12th birthday was December 2) were listening to with KMUR or KNAK, both local top 40 stations. That afternoon in November that was in proximity to Kennedy's assassination, we heard I Want To Hold Your Hand on one of these stations. This was weeks before Capitol released the 45rpm in the states. So how did the DJ's acquire a copy of this 45? Did someone copy an EMI/Parlophone onto a reel-to-reel and it became bootlegged across the country? I have heard others tell me they too heard this single before the January capitol release. After my 12th birthday, this single became more popular on the two local radio stations. By the end of December 1963, we had acquired the Vee Jay LP Introducing The Beatles.

[@1189paris]

@Parlogram You really did a great job on the 60th Anniversary of the Beatles conquering America with their hit single "I Want To Hold Your Hand" piece. I hope you can in future videos do more recollections on other Beatles songs.

[@denpea-mm8zr]

Excellent video as usual Andrew ! Thank You. I have always been curious why it was, that up here in Canada (Vancouver to be exact), we had already fell in love with the Beatles before "I Want To Hold Your Hand". Looking at Vancouver Top 40 station C-FUN charts, "She Loves You" hit #1 December 21, 1963, "Please Mr Postman" #1 January 18, 1964 and on January 25, 1964 " I Want To Hold Your Hand" was #1 and The Beatles had the top 3 singles on the chart. "Roll Over Beethoven" also charted in late 1963. I know that the Beatlemania LP was released by Capitol of Canada in '63 but did not include "She Loves You", so how did it come to be that Vancouver was slightly ahead of the Beatles curve ? There is no mention of the Beatles on Seattle USA singles charts until late Jan '64. Always wondered about this.

[@denpea-mm8zr]

I spoke too soon. I just discovered your video from a couple years back, "How Canada Beat The U.S. To Beatlemania - The Capitol Canada Story 1963".

[@WillieSimpson777]

I Want to Hold Your Hand and She Loves You are masterpieces...beautiful and soaring, jet powered actually...a style of music no one ever really replicated, even the Beatles...they stand as monuments to the genius inspiration of the Early Beatles...I'm a songwriter and as a game, I often just try to write a song like She Loves You and it's close to impossible as an exercise...but it's fun to try! Fantastic video as usual!

[@Parlogram]

Well said, Sir!

[@bobcash4617]

Wonderful video, Andrew. I was 9 and had no interest in music when they first appeared on Sullivan's show. That would all change soon after. Their opening song was All My Lovin with Paul sounding slightly off key. I recall my father commenting "they stink".But to this day I thought he was looking for a reason to dislike them. Been a fan to this day. Cheers.

[@monsieurlespaique2333]

Terrific fun! There's been a lot in US media lately about the anniversary and this is one more very well researched piece that I've seen, including three different magazine specials. On the 50th anniversary, ten years ago, a few friends and I got together to watch the Ed Sullivan Beatles performances. There was actual excitement when they went on, people were squealing and one of the women started sobbing, saying, "They're so cute I can't stand it!" The charisma still works after all these years.

[@Parlogram]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jorgeb555]

So fascinating to hear their thoughts on conquering America or not. They were uncertain. That’s why I believe their Washington, DC concert is probably the most fun they ever had on stage. Furthermore, when they played, “This Boy” with John, Paul, and George all at the same microphone, I think that was the, “We made it, boys.” moment. And finally, when they finished with “Long, Tall Sally” they just cut loose like never before or since. The lyrics “Were gonna have some fun tonight” were never so a propos. I’m sure you will do a video on that show, but had to get that off my chest. It’s going to be a fun 60th anniversary year of 2024 on Parlogram. 😎

[@neilmeadowcroft7569]

Probably my favourite Beatles single having learnt to play it when first starting on guitar. My dad has the original sheet music, written for piano it was only later i found out it was in the wrong key. I still play it that way.

[@michaelhiatt7377]

Another wonderful job as usual! Love your shirt by the way

[@Parlogram]

Thanks Michael!

[@orbyfan]

You can find back issues of the U.S. trade magazines Billboard and Cash Box online, and the January 4, 1964 issues of both contain reviews of the single and two-page ads for "Meet the Beatles," before the album's official release date. Both issues also contain ads from Epic Records, introducing "The Mersey Sound with the Liverpool Beat," promoting "The Hottest Record on the British Charts!": "Glad All Over" by the Dave Clark Five; apparently Epic was so eager to get on the Beatlemania bandwagon that the label didn't take the time to get the facts straight on where their own act came from.

[@theoloutlaw]

I'm with you Andrew, the best way to listen to 'IWTHYH' is with the original 45 pressing. I think this is one of the most perfect Pop records of all time and released exactly when it was needed. There is an energy to this day, still leaps out of the speakers when you hear it and it still sounds fresh and exciting! In Australia, I often listen to a lot of overnight AM radio, it's still a thing down here, and every so often, 'IWTHYH' will get a play, and over the AM band, it sounds thrilling and magical, even through a tiny monophonic speaker. Hard to explain actually! The song is catchy, the performance is 'electric'! and it's perfectly constructed and produced. One of the best ever. Thanks! for the sole video on this beauty! I love it. Cheers, Rick

[@Parlogram]

Well said, Rick!

[@porflepopnecker4376]

"She Loves You" (Swan Label) got me first, and then this single sealed the deal. I was five or six years old.

[@MaxGretinski]

Oriole also pressed copies of the UK Parlophone single, due (as you said) to high demand. The Beatles second French LP (No. 1) had only come out about a week before they arrived in Paris. The first pressings have a blue label. The cover that you show, front and back, is the cover to the later (1966+) red-label pressing. Their first French album had come out in December, corresponding to With the Beatles in the UK. "She Loves You" had been a hit -- being the highlight and lead track from their hit EP (Odeon SOE 3741). The first pressing of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in Brazil had a yellow label with "ALTA FIDELIDADE" (high fidelity) at the bottom. You may have known all of this, but getting photos of first pressings wasn't as important as compiling a knock-out video. The story of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" is, as you suggest, one of worldwide success. Whatever countries had resisted charting "She Loves You," they found themselves unable to resist the new songs -- so much so that 1964 became the Year of the Beatle in every country where rock and roll was legal. Kudos for another fab filmlet, Andrew.

[@0010Kev]

Great video as always Andrew! There's a video on you tube that plays bits of all the number one hits of the sixties. It sounds 'ok' but pretty tame until January 1964 comes along and then BOOM! Nothing is ever the same again!

[@dmitrysobolin5158]

Awesome story. Loved a lot. Thank you very much, Andrew

[@Parlogram]

Glad you enjoyed it, Dmitry!

[@michaelquinn8618]

I remember standing in line to get the 45 Getlins record store in philly . I wish now I had bought 5 of them.

[@simonbnyc]

You are so right about amazing sound of the first mono pressing of "I Want To Hold Your Hand". I remember my parents bringing a brand new copy home in 1963 and playing it on our basic, but loud, family HMV mono record player. The music just exploded from the speaker! It was a big, fat sound that filled the room. I'd listened to "Please Please Me" and "She Loves You" on this same record player plus I'd already heard "I Want To Hold Your Hand" many times on the radio but nothing could compete with the huge, exciting sound of the original mono 45.

[@jamesdrynan]

Nice job, sir! Amusing to hear you read the comments made by the media critics and opinionated youths. Little did they know that 73 million people would tune in to see the Fab Four on TV. The Beatles were paid $10,000 for the three Sullivan performances. That would be $98,000 today. Not too shabby.

[@Parlogram]

Thank you, Sir!

[@JustineLaLoba]

My sister recorded their first Sullivan show on a RB-5 reel to reel tape. You can hear her yelling "that's him Mom......that's Paul!"

[@TZ1000-zu7ki]

Another terrific video, Andrew. Sixty years later and I still love the excitement of I Want to Hold Your Hand. February 9, 1964 is a defining moment in my life. I was 10 years old. Fortunately, my mother always watched Ed Sullivan, so my brother (who was two years older) and I were watching that night. Life changed in a matter of minutes. We became life-long Beatles fans. Those Americans living in the UK at the time certainly got it wrong--60 years later and The Beatles are still at the top. I'm looking forward to your other videos for the year.

[@peterhogan9537]

the first time I heard the Beatles was Dec 27th 1963 on 1050 CHUM Toronto, I thought it was Neil Sadaka. the song was SHE LOVES YOU.

[@georgegbalzano9239]

Andrew, Thanks again for a stupendous video. I'm about 10 years or so older than you, and have been a Beatles' fan since I was a little boy in the 60s (largely because my cousins who were older introduced me to them). I myself know a great deal of Beatles' facts, having read and heard about them for over 55 years, but you always bring us interesting pictures, facts and stories that need to be retold and NOT forgotten. I look forward to watching your videos more than the News or anything else on TV or the Internet!!! Thanks again for all you do. Best wishes, George B. in Boston, MA USA

[@Parlogram]

Thank you, George. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@SQDLVR]

Wow! My Beatles experience didn't happen until 1968, when my Dad started buying their albums. Though they had the 45 of I Want To Hold Your Hand. As always very informative video Handsome. Keep them coming! On a side note, do you know when Beatlemania first happened in the Philippines? Was it in 1963/64 with everyone else or much later?

[@tediarocci6629]

Thanks for another great video Andrew! In late January 1964 I was a 10 year old kid. After school a few friends used to hang out at a parents neighborhood clothing store. A radio was playing and on came a song I'd never heard before that immediately struck me. I called out "Who is this" One of the girls answered "Haven't you heard, that's The Beatles!" Of course the song was I Want to Hold Your Hand and the rest is history. 60 years a Beatles fan!

[@stephenpitcher8755]

I agree that the original UK & US 45’s sound far and away the best way these songs should be heard. I have copies I play on a 1965 Ferguson Portable Record player. They are just so loud and dynamic and so exciting!!

[@BioFactory1]

Paris while they were using a piano to start writing songs for Hard Day's Night, Paul supposedly played the earliest piano bit of Scrambled Eggs (Yesterday) still with barely any lyrics for George Martin. I forget what old 1070's book I got that from. But it had about the first Paris version of Can'tBuy Me Love in it too.

[@moreheff]

Great work as always Andrew. I still get a tingle when the opening chords rip out for this song. A great record still and I never tire of hearing it.I think because this has a slightly harder edge to it than the previous She Loves You. I was just approaching my 4th Birthday when this was released meaning a lot of my Beatles upbringing was done slightly after the fact so I always love hearing the back stories to these releases of the time. Thanks muchly

[@Parlogram]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@martinneumann7783]

Watching your high quality videos is my Sunday pleasure, Andrew! 👍👍👍

[@Parlogram]

You are welcome, Martin!

[@anthonyvigliotti6560]

Wonderful wonderful video, Andrew! This song remains one of my favorite songs of all-time and still excites me like it did the first time I heard it as a pre-schooler. The energy could power a city! 😂

[@Parlogram]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Zappa-bn3dq]

And another good one, amazing research. As you may be aware there is also an Oriole pressing of the single as well as the Decca one.

[@marcellolomele4247]

As a newcomer in collecting Beatles, i thank you, Andrew, for being my master. I learned a lot in last 2022 and all of 2023! 2024 had perfectly begun!

[@scottroberts3011]

Thank you again, Andrew !

[@Parlogram]

My pleasure, Scott!

[@rewind2play]

Yet another excellent insightful look into the Fab 4

[@RonaldBrown59]

This was a true classic, that is for sure. Great video, thanks for sharing.

[@Parlogram]

Glad you enjoyed it, Ronald!

[@IozziEric]

Thank you so much, Andrew. Every minute of this video is GOLD!!! Thank you so much for the amazing job!

[@Parlogram]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@carlrudd1858]

December 10th was a Tuesday. I witnessed the CBS 'Beatles' news story at my Aunt and Uncles house where I was living in Portland Oregon. As a budding guitar player I found interest and that was my first awareness of The Beatles.

[@KneeAches]

Heard it, bought it, my 4th record that I bought. Was in love from there. Listen to the other songs in the top 20. Lots of good songs but nothing like it.

[@franco426]

The song still sounds fresh after six decades! Another tremendous job Andrew!

[@michaelquinn8618]

I remember getting that album and my mother actually loved it especially till there was you

[@johninloes8817]

It's hard to get a reaction from my parents (respectively 16 and 13 at the time) about the Beatles without the contempt of Beatlemania. My father remembers having the 45s because he was a DJ at his Catholic high school dances. And my father still enjoys them (he raved about the Get Back doc). We all went to Liverpool last year (my fifth, their first) and went to the Beatles Story (which was my 2nd time). But I still can't get that knowledge of 1963 and when this song hit. Being born in 1973, there was never a time where I and the Beatles co-existed, and I only came to them from a retrospective viewpoint.

[@oldbrownshoe52]

Definitely enjoyed it as always. Loved seeing those pictures, famous to us Beatles fans, in their proper context in the greater story of the band.

[@thethirdrail8397]

Their Second album Meet The Beatles held " I want To Hold Your Hand" on the LP! Now that I have the EMI/capitol LP's Mono and stereo, I kind of want to know, what the Other Countries had for the Mixing, take(s), how it sounds vs the US Versions!

[@timothyflyte9443]

That's not Alan Livingston shown when you first mentioned him at around 6 minutes. That's actor Dennis Weaver of " Gunsmoke " & " McCloud " fame , who also had albums on Capital.

[@Parlogram]

You are correct!

[@nicknikipediacaulkin5943]

Another fab video, Andrew! Early 1964, prior to their vist to America, was a busy yet exciting time for the Beatles with the concerts in France and recording the German language versions of She Loves You and I Want to Hold Your Hand. I've always wondered why the original twin track session tape of She Loves You was destroyed!