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CNN Live Sunday
A Look Back At "The Ed Sulliavn Show"
Aired February 08, 2004 - 16:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It was a really big show; forty years ago tomorrow night, American teenagers tuned in to see "The Ed Sullivan Show" and shrieked with joy. Parents reacted with horror however. And the Beatles well they beamed with delight as their first U.S. television performance made pop culture history.
An astonishing 40 percent of the population watched the telecast. Nothing had ever scored such TV ratings before. Well just six weeks before, that electrifying moment few Americans had even heard of the Beatles. How did Beatle mania happen and why does it still grip the original fans and their children 40 years later? "Rolling Stone" has followed the Beatles remarkable story throughout most of those years and Rolling Stone rock critic Anthony DeCurtis joins us from New York. Anthony good to see you.
ANTHONY DECURTIS, ROLLING STONE: A pleasure to be here.
WHITFIELD: Well the Beatles not only influenced music but also influenced fashion even politics. Do you think that was the fad four's intention?
DECURTIS: No, it wasn't their intention certainly at the beginning. There was a sense in which, you know -- unthinkable that a band could have that kind of impact back then. I think they just wanted to be successful for as long as they could, which was presumed to be a couple of years.
WHITFIELD: At first a lot of Americans didn't even want -- didn't really want to accept them at all. They didn't like the long hair, they had the pointy shoes. They were kind of strange in a lot of Americans' views. Almost a rebellious, they were kind of afraid of the kind of influence that the Beatles might have. Right?
DECURTIS: Yes, you know, the whole business of they looked like girls; they are wearing funny clothes, all this other stuff. I mean, that was -- that was a very predominant point of view back in the day, but the Beatles disarmed people very much when they came here.
WHITFIELD: And did it happen through that "Ed Sullivan Show"?
DECURTIS: Through "The Ed Sullivan Show" through the press conferences, they were funny, witty, they were clearly bright guys. The '60s hadn't really achieved that level of generational combat yet, although this was really a line in the sand. This was in a sense the beginning of that. But they were sort of the acceptable edge of the unacceptable stuff. WHITFIELD: Yes, and a lot of Americans liked to pride themselves on the true inventors of rock 'n' roll. And so the Beatles style, is this in part why maybe some Americans were reticent about their acceptance?
DECURTIS: It was so strange to think anything from England or anywhere else other than America could have an impact on rock 'n' roll. I mean it was one of these great homegrown American products. The idea of somebody coming from across the seas and having hit records, other than like a novelty, seemed ridiculous. That was an aspect of has been going on with the Beatles. A kind of strange, who exactly are these guys? And what are they doing here?
DECURITS: So here it is now 40 years later. Are we all kind of overanalyzing the intent and the real product of these fab four? Shouldn't we just let it be?
DECURTIS: Well -- that's very nice! I think if you kind of let -- if you do let it be and just listen to the music, I think you can have a nice experience. But you know in many ways, the impact of the Beatles can't be over estimated. I mean they had a tremendous impact musically to this day. They're exerting a big influence. And as long as that's going on, we'll celebrate these anniversaries.
WHITFIELD: Wow, amazing. Well it's always fun to see the old tape. If anything, just to check out the hairstyles! All right, Anthony DeCurtis, thanks very much, of "Rolling Stone."
DECURTIS: Thank you very much. It was a pleasure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 8, 2004 - 16:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It was a really big show; forty years ago tomorrow night, American teenagers tuned in to see "The Ed Sullivan Show" and shrieked with joy. Parents reacted with horror however. And the Beatles well they beamed with delight as their first U.S. television performance made pop culture history.
An astonishing 40 percent of the population watched the telecast. Nothing had ever scored such TV ratings before. Well just six weeks before, that electrifying moment few Americans had even heard of the Beatles. How did Beatle mania happen and why does it still grip the original fans and their children 40 years later? "Rolling Stone" has followed the Beatles remarkable story throughout most of those years and Rolling Stone rock critic Anthony DeCurtis joins us from New York. Anthony good to see you.
ANTHONY DECURTIS, ROLLING STONE: A pleasure to be here.
WHITFIELD: Well the Beatles not only influenced music but also influenced fashion even politics. Do you think that was the fad four's intention?
DECURTIS: No, it wasn't their intention certainly at the beginning. There was a sense in which, you know -- unthinkable that a band could have that kind of impact back then. I think they just wanted to be successful for as long as they could, which was presumed to be a couple of years.
WHITFIELD: At first a lot of Americans didn't even want -- didn't really want to accept them at all. They didn't like the long hair, they had the pointy shoes. They were kind of strange in a lot of Americans' views. Almost a rebellious, they were kind of afraid of the kind of influence that the Beatles might have. Right?
DECURTIS: Yes, you know, the whole business of they looked like girls; they are wearing funny clothes, all this other stuff. I mean, that was -- that was a very predominant point of view back in the day, but the Beatles disarmed people very much when they came here.
WHITFIELD: And did it happen through that "Ed Sullivan Show"?
DECURTIS: Through "The Ed Sullivan Show" through the press conferences, they were funny, witty, they were clearly bright guys. The '60s hadn't really achieved that level of generational combat yet, although this was really a line in the sand. This was in a sense the beginning of that. But they were sort of the acceptable edge of the unacceptable stuff. WHITFIELD: Yes, and a lot of Americans liked to pride themselves on the true inventors of rock 'n' roll. And so the Beatles style, is this in part why maybe some Americans were reticent about their acceptance?
DECURTIS: It was so strange to think anything from England or anywhere else other than America could have an impact on rock 'n' roll. I mean it was one of these great homegrown American products. The idea of somebody coming from across the seas and having hit records, other than like a novelty, seemed ridiculous. That was an aspect of has been going on with the Beatles. A kind of strange, who exactly are these guys? And what are they doing here?
DECURITS: So here it is now 40 years later. Are we all kind of overanalyzing the intent and the real product of these fab four? Shouldn't we just let it be?
DECURTIS: Well -- that's very nice! I think if you kind of let -- if you do let it be and just listen to the music, I think you can have a nice experience. But you know in many ways, the impact of the Beatles can't be over estimated. I mean they had a tremendous impact musically to this day. They're exerting a big influence. And as long as that's going on, we'll celebrate these anniversaries.
WHITFIELD: Wow, amazing. Well it's always fun to see the old tape. If anything, just to check out the hairstyles! All right, Anthony DeCurtis, thanks very much, of "Rolling Stone."
DECURTIS: Thank you very much. It was a pleasure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
