Greetings from The Music Bowl! I'm the Wonderfish.
On this #throwbackthursday, the time has come to address a very serious question: who is your favorite Beatle? As a child I would leaf through my parents' vinyl records, reading through their Beatles albums from cover to cover. I distinctly remember staring at the iconic black and white cover shot of With The Beatles. Paul was my favorite when I was little because I thought he was the cutest. John became my favorite while I was in college (shocker, I know) and a poster of him hangs in my music room to this day. I grew to appreciate George and his many contributions. But, I blame Ringo. I really do. For everything. Okay, not for everything, but hear me out.
As some of you may remember, on a certain Sunday night in late winter of 1964 the world as we know it changed. Popular culture was altered, never to return to its former self. Roughly 73 million people tuned their television sets to CBS at 8:00 PM on February 9, 1964. Three of those 73 million people were my father and his parents. My father can tell you exactly where he was sitting the moment The Beatles were introduced on the Ed Sullivan Show. He saw Ringo Starr walk onto the stage in his "Beatle Boots" and the earth shifted. He was hooked. He was going to play the drums! He was going to be in a rock and roll band! He was ten years old!
From that moment on, my father was obsessed with drums and rock and roll. His dream became reality; he worked really hard learning how to play. After he graduated high school he performed in a successful rock band during the seventies, touring full time, playing 6-7 shows a week throughout New England and New York. There are many, many stories to be told on that subject. Long story short, my life was also impacted. My life long pursuit of music, filled with all of the joys and frustrations, the heartbreak, hopes, and happiness that are unavoidable when you chase a dream, would not exist if not for Ringo Starr.
Now, I'm not saying that you have to love the Beatles. I'm not even telling you to listen to all of their albums. However, if you fancy yourself a lover of music, I do think it is imperative that you examine just a few Beatles records. You should at least know the first names of all of the Beatles and be able to identify a couple of songs that you really, really like. Their performance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 was unforgettable for those that watched it in real time and their influence lives on.
If you haven't taken the time to listen yet, you are not alone. Even Ryan Adams, who is an incredible songwriter in his own right, just recently started listening to their work. So, who's your favorite Beatle? Take the time to find out. You won't regret it. Today, Paul has won me over yet again. But, I blame Ringo. I really do. Shark's in the water! See you next week.
Today's Sources & Photo Credits:
The photos of the Beatles and Ed Sullivan are not my own nor did I take them. They were found on these sites, which, if you are interested in today's post, are quite nice to look through.
https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/chelsea-boots-guide/
http://www.edsullivan.com/the-beatles-on-the-ed-sullivan-show-on-february-9-1964/
Ryan Adams posted about his explorations into the Beatles catalog this summer. I follow him on Twitter, which is where I saw his postings about Beatles albums. You can follow him on Twitter and look up what he listened to if you want, his handle is @TheRyanAdams.
On this #throwbackthursday, the time has come to address a very serious question: who is your favorite Beatle? As a child I would leaf through my parents' vinyl records, reading through their Beatles albums from cover to cover. I distinctly remember staring at the iconic black and white cover shot of With The Beatles. Paul was my favorite when I was little because I thought he was the cutest. John became my favorite while I was in college (shocker, I know) and a poster of him hangs in my music room to this day. I grew to appreciate George and his many contributions. But, I blame Ringo. I really do. For everything. Okay, not for everything, but hear me out.
As some of you may remember, on a certain Sunday night in late winter of 1964 the world as we know it changed. Popular culture was altered, never to return to its former self. Roughly 73 million people tuned their television sets to CBS at 8:00 PM on February 9, 1964. Three of those 73 million people were my father and his parents. My father can tell you exactly where he was sitting the moment The Beatles were introduced on the Ed Sullivan Show. He saw Ringo Starr walk onto the stage in his "Beatle Boots" and the earth shifted. He was hooked. He was going to play the drums! He was going to be in a rock and roll band! He was ten years old!
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| The Beatles: Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison |
From that moment on, my father was obsessed with drums and rock and roll. His dream became reality; he worked really hard learning how to play. After he graduated high school he performed in a successful rock band during the seventies, touring full time, playing 6-7 shows a week throughout New England and New York. There are many, many stories to be told on that subject. Long story short, my life was also impacted. My life long pursuit of music, filled with all of the joys and frustrations, the heartbreak, hopes, and happiness that are unavoidable when you chase a dream, would not exist if not for Ringo Starr.
Now, I'm not saying that you have to love the Beatles. I'm not even telling you to listen to all of their albums. However, if you fancy yourself a lover of music, I do think it is imperative that you examine just a few Beatles records. You should at least know the first names of all of the Beatles and be able to identify a couple of songs that you really, really like. Their performance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 was unforgettable for those that watched it in real time and their influence lives on.
 |
| Starr, Harrison, Ed Sullivan, Lennon, and McCartney |
If you haven't taken the time to listen yet, you are not alone. Even Ryan Adams, who is an incredible songwriter in his own right, just recently started listening to their work. So, who's your favorite Beatle? Take the time to find out. You won't regret it. Today, Paul has won me over yet again. But, I blame Ringo. I really do. Shark's in the water! See you next week.
Today's Sources & Photo Credits:
The photos of the Beatles and Ed Sullivan are not my own nor did I take them. They were found on these sites, which, if you are interested in today's post, are quite nice to look through.
https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/chelsea-boots-guide/
http://www.edsullivan.com/the-beatles-on-the-ed-sullivan-show-on-february-9-1964/
Ryan Adams posted about his explorations into the Beatles catalog this summer. I follow him on Twitter, which is where I saw his postings about Beatles albums. You can follow him on Twitter and look up what he listened to if you want, his handle is @TheRyanAdams.
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