The Beatles Before The British Invasion - 1963 Classics

Music Wed - As many of you may have read or heard, this month marks the 50th anniversary of The Beatles performances over three weeks in February on The Ed Sullivan Show, which is universally recognized as the official commencement of Beatlemania in the US. It is important to note that Beatlemania had already been sweeping through the UK and Europe for over a year before it landed in the States. Here are a couple of fun facts about Beatlemania and how it started in this country. First, The Beatles had been rejected for distribution in the US by the holder of their publishing rights in the this country, Capitol Records, four times during 1963, because the execs at this record company felt they were a novelty act and would not be interesting or sellable to a US audience. In fact, if a 14 year old girl in Baltimore had not asked her daddy to bring a Beatles 45 rpm record back to her from a business trip to London in December 1963, and then took that record and sent it to a local DJ and asked him to play it, who knows when or whether we would have had a Beatles' or British Invasion in this country. The listener response to this single record sent to a local DJ by this girl was so overwhelming that music stations all over the East Coast had to get stewardesses and pilots to bring them copies of Beatles' records to them to play because Capitol Records still refused to make and distribute any Beatles records at that time. The Beatles would not have been noticed by Ed Sullivan if not for the efforts of a lone teenage girl who heard second hand from her daddy of The Beatles' exploding popularity which he witnessed during repeated business trips to Europe during 1963. Of course, once Capitol saw how popular the group was, they started printing and selling Beatles' singles in January 1964, and the rest, as they say, is history.  Here is a glimpse of The Beatles from televised performances in 1963 which show their live energy and irrepressible energy before they became a worldwide phenomenon -- Live on Swedish TV   http://youtu.be/A2nJXcZy_Gw; Live in Liverpool  http://youtu.be/brwmLjD-3Hw; and a rare color file of She Loves You  http://youtu.be/QoF-7VMMihA). Cheeky little buggers who changed music as we know it. Enjoy!

Looking for Good New Music? Check out Lorde and Jake Bugg - Teen Artists With a Talent and Vision

Music Wed - Most of the time I focus on what I consider more classic or more timeless music and don't spend a bunch of time on the disposable drivel that is churned out by the mainstream music industry. But I want to call out two contemporary artists who are fresh, relevant and talented. What is interesting about both of these artists is that they have gained popularity and success by defying the "formula" so-called hit makers have established to govern what ultimately makes it on the radio, finds space on restaurant playlists and earns award show accolades. So here's a shout out to Lorde and Jake Bugg. She is a poet with a wry wit and a low tolerance for fools, copycats and music industry sycophants; he is a skilled musician with a keen eye for topical issues. Ella (Lorde's real name and the name she uses in her life), earned my respect when she openly sang live at the Grammys over a harmonic backing track, just like Queen used to do when they performed Bohemian Rhapsody - there was no subterfuge or trickery, like Selena Gomez, Britney Spears, Ke$ha and so many other pop stars resort to. Her stark Grammys performance of Royals was eerie, a bit disturbing, and wonderful in its use of the silent parts (just as Miles Davis has always done so brilliantly). Both of these teen artists have an ability to communicate as song writers and as people. Check them out, and here are a few items to get you started -- For Lorde, I recommend "Tennis Court" (http://youtu.be/D8Ymd-OCucs) and "White Teeth Teens" (http://youtu.be/ZWVZBwrQhsY) to get a sense of her abilities beyond Royals. As for Mr Bugg, I suggest you check out "Broken" (http://youtu.be/3EL20VKlvbs) and "Two Fingers" (http://youtu.be/J9XwFecNXyU). I think you will dig them because they are something that is a little rare in pop music today - they are real. Enjoy!