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CNN Live At Daybreak

Grammies Serves Up Salute to Arrival of The Beatles

Aired February 09, 2004 - 05:25   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The Grammies also served up a salute to one of the turning points in American music, the arrival of the Beatles. An all star band turned out -- an all star band, I should say, turned out a Beatles tune to celebrate the fab four's first appearance on American television.
CNN's Elaine Quijano reports that it was 40 years ago today that the Beatles appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time on the air in the United States, here are the Beatles singing "I Want To Hold Your Hand."

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was their first big debut on American radio, one that preceded their now famous TV appearance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW")

THE BEATLES: I want to hold your hand.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: In December of 1963, after seeing the Beatles on the news, a teenager from Silver Spring, Maryland asked a local radio D.J. to play one of their songs.

RICHARD HARRINGTON, "WASHINGTON POST": Marcia Albert's role in this is wonderful. She is sort of the spark that lit the fuse that lit the explosion of Beatlemania.

QUIJANO: The D.J. obliged and unwittingly unleashed a new deluge of devotees.

BRUCE SPIZER, "THE BEATLES ARE COMING": After the song finished, Carol James asked listeners to let them know what he thought or what they thought of the song. And the switchboard lit up like the proverbial Christmas tree.

QUIJANO: The Beatles phenomenon instantly spread. But some critics viewed the band as untalented flashes in the pan.

SPIZER: Someone from the "Washington Post" described them as hillbillies and a dog in agony the way they sounded.

QUIJANO: Then, on February 9, 1964, a pivotal event.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW")

ED SULLIVAN: Ladies and gentlemen, the Beatles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: The Beatles performed on "The Ed Sullivan Show," their first appearance on American television.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW")

THE BEATLES: Close your eyes and I'll kiss you, tomorrow I'll miss you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO (on camera): Almost 74 million people tuned in, 40 percent of the American population then, the largest television audience ever up to that point.

HARRINGTON: A lot of parents were surprised at how sort of musical, how genial the Beatles were.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were just coming off of President Kennedy being assassinated. Things were very depressing and I think it really uplifted the whole country.

QUIJANO: Forty years later, the Beatles' iconic status is unquestionable.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALES: Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away.

QUIJANO: And their timeless appeal reflected in the faces of those who remember.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALES: Oh I believe in yesterday.

QUIJANO: Elaine Quijano, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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 9, 2004 - 05:25   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The Grammies also served up a salute to one of the turning points in American music, the arrival of the Beatles. An all star band turned out -- an all star band, I should say, turned out a Beatles tune to celebrate the fab four's first appearance on American television.
CNN's Elaine Quijano reports that it was 40 years ago today that the Beatles appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time on the air in the United States, here are the Beatles singing "I Want To Hold Your Hand."

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was their first big debut on American radio, one that preceded their now famous TV appearance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW")

THE BEATLES: I want to hold your hand.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: In December of 1963, after seeing the Beatles on the news, a teenager from Silver Spring, Maryland asked a local radio D.J. to play one of their songs.

RICHARD HARRINGTON, "WASHINGTON POST": Marcia Albert's role in this is wonderful. She is sort of the spark that lit the fuse that lit the explosion of Beatlemania.

QUIJANO: The D.J. obliged and unwittingly unleashed a new deluge of devotees.

BRUCE SPIZER, "THE BEATLES ARE COMING": After the song finished, Carol James asked listeners to let them know what he thought or what they thought of the song. And the switchboard lit up like the proverbial Christmas tree.

QUIJANO: The Beatles phenomenon instantly spread. But some critics viewed the band as untalented flashes in the pan.

SPIZER: Someone from the "Washington Post" described them as hillbillies and a dog in agony the way they sounded.

QUIJANO: Then, on February 9, 1964, a pivotal event.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW")

ED SULLIVAN: Ladies and gentlemen, the Beatles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: The Beatles performed on "The Ed Sullivan Show," their first appearance on American television.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW")

THE BEATLES: Close your eyes and I'll kiss you, tomorrow I'll miss you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO (on camera): Almost 74 million people tuned in, 40 percent of the American population then, the largest television audience ever up to that point.

HARRINGTON: A lot of parents were surprised at how sort of musical, how genial the Beatles were.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were just coming off of President Kennedy being assassinated. Things were very depressing and I think it really uplifted the whole country.

QUIJANO: Forty years later, the Beatles' iconic status is unquestionable.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALES: Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away.

QUIJANO: And their timeless appeal reflected in the faces of those who remember.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALES: Oh I believe in yesterday.

QUIJANO: Elaine Quijano, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com