On February 9, 1964, the Fab Four drew a record-breaking viewership of over 73 million people on The Ed Sullivan Show—more than 60 percent of all TVs on in America at the time, according to Nielsen.
Every seat in the New York City studio was spoken for too, with an audience of over 700 including then-former Vice President Richard Nixon’s teenage daughters, Tricia and Julie.
“The city never has witnessed the excitement stirred by these youngsters from Liverpool who call themselves The Beatles,” Sullivan said as he announced the newly famed quartet. Amidst cheers and singing, the show displayed close-ups of each band member—which for Lennon was annotated with a note that read: “Sorry girls, he’s married.”
“We’re rather crummy musicians,” lead guitarist Harrison told Newsweek at the time. Piling on the self-deprecation, vocalist and bass guitarist McCartney added: “We can’t sing, we can’t do anything...but we’re having a great laugh.” Despite their perceived shortcomings, the British icons went on to captivate America.
The term Beatlemania came to encompass the hysteria surrounding the quartet. Over 3,000 ecstatic fans waited for the band’s arrival at JFK Airport before the show. Devotees went beyond buying their records and purchased wigs emulating the group’s iconic mop-top haircuts.
They appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show three times that February, and once more in September 1965. Over the four shows, seven of the songs they performed became Number One hits.
Decades later, despite the band’s dissolution in the ‚70s and the deaths of Lennon in 1980 and Harrison in 2001, fans remain loyal. Last November, The Beatles returned to the charts with the release of their 214th song, “Now and Then,” a rendition of Lennon’s unfinished ‚70s ballad.
Referred to as “the last Beatles song,” it integrates Lennon’s voice with the help of artificial intelligence, and segments of Harrison’s guitar recordings along with Starr and McCartney. Before the single’s release, the band had joined the Spotify Billions Club after “Here Comes the Sun” surpassed 1 billion streams.
With The Beatles, all they ever really need—and get—is love.
[SŁOWNICZEK]
be spoken for – być zajętym
annotate – opatrzyć komentarzem
crummy – marny, mizerny
self-deprecation – pomniejszanie własnych zasług
perceived shortcomings – dostrzegalne niedociągnięcia
captivate – urzec, zauroczyć
mop-top haircut – fryzura na beatlesa (przydługie, zaczesane do przodu włosy u mężczyzn)
dissolution – rozpad, rozwiązanie
rendition – interpretacja
surpass – przekraczać, przewyższać
Task 1
Listen to the recording and answer the following questions:
1. Who are the members of The Beatles?
2. What significant event took place on February 9, 1964?
3. How did Ed Sullivan describe the excitement caused by The Beatles during their television debut?
4. Despite their self-deprecating comments about their musical abilities, what impact did The Beatles have in America?
5. What term came to encompass the hysteria surrounding The Beatles?
6. How did The Beatles’ popularity continue even after their dissolution in the 70’s and the deaths of Lennon and Harrison?
Task 2
First, match the words to form collocations and verb phrases that will help you describe the issue presented in the article. Next, write down a sentence using each collocation and verb phrase. The sentences you create should relate to the topic being discussed in the text. (See Key)
Collocations:
television
famed
crummy
British
ecstatic
mop-top
musicians
haircuts
debut
fans
quartet
icons
Verb phrases:
chat with
draw
witness
display
captivate
return to
America
the excitement
the charts
a show host
a record-breaking viewership
close-ups
Task 3
Task description: Students will participate in a discussion about The Beatles and the phenomenon of Beatlemania.
Task elements:
1. Discuss why The Beatles’ appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show was considered significant.
2. Explore the term “Beatlemania” and discuss why it became associated with the band.
3. Apply the term “Beatlemania” to describe the behavior and reactions of the fans.
4. Express your opinions on why The Beatles had such a substantial impact on music and culture.
5. In pairs or small groups, create a short dialogue between The Beatles and Ed Sullivan before their debut.
Task 4
Complete the following summary using information from the text.
In 1964, The Beatles achieved fame on 1) ________, captivating over 73 million viewers. Despite claiming to be “crummy musicians,”
the quartet’s humor and charm endeared them to fans, leading to 2) ________. The band’s influence continued with multiple 3) ________. Despite disbanding and the passing of Lennon and Harrison, The Beatles’ 4) ________ endures. Recently, an AI-assisted song, “Now and Then,” marked their 214th release, showcasing their
5) ________ and love from loyal fans.
Check the answer key!
