Beatlemania
Facts for kids
The following fact
sheet contains interesting facts and information on Beatlemania
and the impact of the Beatles pop group..
Beatlemania
Facts for kids
Beatlemania
Facts - 1: During 1963 the
Beatles pop group perform a series of live concerts in
Britain and Europe, attracting massive crowds of
screaming fans and the term 'Beatlemania' was coined to
describe their frenzied behaviour.
Beatlemania
Facts -
2: Words and terms
used to describe the behavior of fans affected by Beatlemania included mass hysteria, fraught, manic,
uncontrollable, non-compliant, undisciplined, frenzied,
demented and unruly conduct. The fans were filled with
excitement, exuberance, enthusiasm, obsession,
fascination, passion, infatuation, fixation and
infatuation.
Beatlemania
Facts - 3: There were many causes of such reactions to four
lads from Liverpool and the causes of Beatlemania.
Beatlemania
Facts - 4: Humor: Their likeable sense of
humor and youthful high spirits played a large part in their appeal
to teenagers. Each of the Fab Four exhibited this humor in different
ways and each of the boys were funny. John Lennon was hilariously
sarcastic and the responses of the other lads were witty, often
absurd, unexpected, irreverent and down to earth.
Beatlemania
Facts - 5: Personalities:
Their diverse, charismatic personalities provided a
different type of appeal to their legion of fans.
Although they performed as a group, each member was
distinct and known by name.
Beatlemania
Facts - 6: Personalities:
John Lennon was clever, cheeky, brash, bold, daring,
impatient and witty. He was also compassionate, kind and
warm. Paul McCartney was outgoing, confident,
optimistic, energetic, considerate and polite. George
Harrison was quiet, introspective, spiritual and had a
dry, unexpectedly witty sense of humor. Ringo Starr was
lively, charismatic, happy-go-lucky, goofy and laid-back
Beatlemania
Facts - 7: Personalities: Fans grew to
know the personalities of the Beatles through their numerous TV
interview and press coverage. Their first movie 'A Hard Day's Night'
provided an even greater insight into the personalities and humor of
each of the Beatles.
Beatlemania
Facts - 8: Teen movies were usually
second rate, the Beatle's movie wasn't expected to be good. A Hard
Day's Night was a sensation and was nominated for two Academy
Awards for Best Screenplay and Best Score.
Beatlemania
Facts - 9: Unconventional:
The Beatles were unconventional. Their hair, their
clothes, their humor, their music and songwriting skills
were all unique. Their Liverpudlian accents were
intriguingly exotic and added to the mystic of the band.
Beatlemania
Facts -
10: Image: The early
Beatles were cleverly groomed with collarless, smart
Beatle jackets, button down, round collared shirts and
Cuban-heeled ankle boots. Their famous Beatle
hairstyles, referred to as 'Mop Tops' also defied
convention and appealed to the younger generation.
Beatlemania
Facts - 11: Looks and
appearance: Paul McCartney possessed conventional good
looks, John Lennon had more of a 'bad boy' image, the
shy, younger George Harrison was also good looking and
Ringo Starr, although not handsome, had the cheeky 'boy
next door' looks.
Beatlemania
Facts -
12: Basically the
Beatles had widespread appeal. Their was something for
everyone and young girls created fantasies around their
idols. These fantasies contributed to Beatlemania but
there were other factors to also take into account.
Beatlemania
Facts - 13: The post-war economic boom of
the 1940's had led to a population explosion during this era. The
so-called 'Baby Boomers' were the
first generation of teenagers to have significant spending power.
They desired products that could distinguish them from their
parents’ generation and be uniquely their own. They bought
fashionable clothes, purchased the latest records and magazines and
went to Beatle concerts.
Beatlemania
Facts - 14: A new
Counterculture coincided
with Beatlemania, a rebellious youth movement that rejected
mainstream conventions, restrictions and values. The
anti-authoritative behavior of the Beatles strongly appealed to the
young generation.
Beatlemania
Facts - 15: The rock and roll music of the
1950's and the exciting performance styles of artists such as Little
Richard, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis had been
ousted by music producers and industry men and replaced by clean-cut
performers such as Frankie Avalon, Pat Boone, Tommy Roe, Roy Orbison,
Fabian and Bobby Rydell.
Beatlemania
Facts - 16: Music: The music
of the Beatles was vibrant with close harmonies based on
rhythm and blues. The music of the Beatles was new, and
like no one else, as they wrote their own songs.
Beatlemania
Facts - 17: Music: The music
of the Beatles was vibrant with close harmonies based on
rhythm and blues. The music of the Beatles was new, and
like no one else, as they wrote their own songs.
Beatlemania
Facts - 18: Songs: The song
writing skills of the Beatles were legendary and
innovative. They included slang words that had never
been used before, such as "Yeah Yeah, Yeah" in their
lyrics, together with experiences of the lives in
Liverpool. But their audience were able to identify with
their 'boy meets girl' love lyrics which went on
to express the hopes and the fears of the younger
generation.
Beatlemania
Facts - 19: On January 10,
1964 the Beatles release their first album in the United
States called 'Introducing the Beatles'.
Beatlemania
Facts - 20: On 18 January
1964, their single "I Want to Hold Your Hand" entered
the US charts, and sold one-and-a-half million copies in
under three weeks.
Continued...
Beatlemania
Facts for kids
Facts
about the Beatlemania for kids
The following fact
sheet continues with facts about Beatlemania.
Beatlemania
Facts for kids
Beatlemania
Facts - 21: The Beatles made
their first visit to America on February 7, 1964 as Pan
Am Flight 101 landed in John F. Kennedy Airport, New
York. An estimated four thousand screaming American fans
celebrated their arrival which was captured by 200
members of the press and media.
Beatlemania
Facts - 22: On February 9,
1964 the Beatles make their first appearance on The Ed
Sullivan Show which was watched by an estimated 73
million viewers. The show attracted the largest number
of viewers that had ever been recorded for a U.S.
television program - Beatlemania had come to America..
Beatlemania
Facts - 23: On February 11,
1964, the Beatles first U.S. concert took place at at
Washington Coliseum, followed by another at Carnegie
Hall.
Beatlemania
Facts - 24: On Sunday February
16, 1964 the group made their second television
appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show attracting 70 million
viewers.
Beatlemania
Facts - 25: The Beatles
returned to the UK on February 22, 1964 and were met at
Heathrow airport by an estimated ten thousand fans.
Beatlemania
Facts - 26: Adults were
bewildered and horrified by the screaming girls in the
audience and the press coverage of any appearances of
the band at airports and in American cities. The media
was as much responsible for Beatlemania as it was for
advertising the group itself.
Beatlemania
Facts - 27: During the week of
April 4, 1964, the Beatles's singles occupied the top
five spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with "Can't
Buy Me Love," "Twist and Shout," "She Loves You," "I
Want to Hold Your Hand" and "Please Please Me,"
respectively.
Beatlemania
Facts -
28: In August 1964,
the Beatles returned to the United States for a second
visit on a month-long tour. The band performed at thirty
concerts in 23 cities earning over a million dollars in
ticket sales.
Beatlemania
Facts -
29: At each concert
there was music performed by 'warm up' bands psychedelic
lighting effects and the atmosphere became electric.
These induced audience arousal and anticipation and the
Beatles were greeted with screaming, shouting and
fainting fans to the fever-pitch intensity of
Beatlemania.
Beatlemania
Facts -
30: The Beatles
returned to the United States for another two-week tour
that began on Sunday 15 August 1965 at the large,
outdoor Shea Stadium in New York City. The concert
attracted an audience of fifty-five thousand and was
sold out in just seventeen minutes.
Beatlemania
Facts -
31: Ringo Starr
described the Shea Stadium concert saying "What I
remember most about the concert was that we were so far
away from the audience...And screaming had become the
thing to do... Everybody screamed..." The Beatles were
concerned that their fans could not hear their music and
the band themselves reportedly couldn’t begin to hear
themselves playing
Beatlemania
Facts -
32: The most hardcore
fans of John, Paul George and Ringo wanted more than
just concerts and records. They craved encounters and
artefacts and went to extraordinary lengths to get them.
The band had no privacy and were disturbed and
occasionally terrified by these obsessive fans.
Beatlemania
Facts -
33: The Beatles
returned to their third tour of the United States in
August 1966 to play 17 concerts but Beatlemania had
reached its limits.. The band were immersed in the "More
popular than Jesus" controversy, sparked by remarks on
religion made by John Lennon.
Beatlemania
Facts -
34: The band returned
to the Shea Stadium but during the performance hundreds
of fans broke through barriers and attempted to reach
the stage.
Beatlemania
Facts -
35: Various threats
were made before the concerts, the Ku Klux Klan picketed
the events, their music was banned on some radio
stations and their records were burned on bonfires.
Beatlemania
Facts -
36: Someone threw an
exploding firecracker on-stage during the evening
concert in Memphis, it sounded like a gun shot and the
three Beatles on stage, all looked immediately at John
Lennon fearing he had been killed.
Beatlemania
Facts -
37: The Beatles played
their last concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco
on August 29, 1966. They would never play a live concert
again, devoting all their efforts to creating new
material in the recording studio..
Beatlemania
Facts -
38: The phenomena known as Beatlemania
had come to an end, but the legacy of the Beatles lives
on to this day.
Beatlemania
Facts for kids
Beatlemania
●
Interesting Facts about Beatlemania for kids and schools
●
Summary of the Beatlemania with dates and events
●
The Beatlemania, a major
event in US history
●
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo
Starr
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Fast, fun facts about the Beatlemania
●
The causes and effects of Beatlemania
● The Beatles and
Beatlemania for schools,
homework, kids and children |