The Beatles Story
Teacher Notes for the The British
Invasion exhibition
(Please allow around 40 minutes to explore the exhibition)
Introduction
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1964 saw a seismic shift in American popular music.
British bands launched what became known as an ‘Invasion’ on the
music charts.
Led by the Beatles, other bands including The Rolling Stones,
Donovan, The Dave Clark Five, The Kinks, Gerry and the Pacemakers
and many more dramatically changed the course of Rock & Roll in
America
At no other time in the 20th century has American popular music
been so affected by outside influences.
What the teens didn’t know was that these “new” sounds weren’t
new at all; they were reinterpretations of American music.
The British Invasion ignited a music renaissance in America and
permanently established the UK on the Rock & Roll map.
Blues Folk and Skiffle
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American Blues and Folk music were both roots of Rock & Roll
and main inspirations for the British Invasion.
Folk musicians such as Woody Guthrie, Josh White, and Lead
Belly helped create a pre-rock and roll sound in the UK known
as Skiffle.
1956 saw Lonnie Donnegan recorded Rock Island Line a song
originally by his greatest influence Lead Belly.
This song started off a Skiffle craze and lead to a young John
Lennon forming a Skiffle band.
America Before the Beatles
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In the early 1960s American Rock & Roll was stuck in neutral as
many of the most important pioneers were missing from the
scene.
Elvis was in the army, Chuck Berry was in jail, Ritchie Valens
Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran had died.
Little Richard found religion, Jerry Lee Lewis had married his
cousin, Johnny Cash was focusing on Country music,Carl Perkins
was recovering from a car accident and Gene Vincent had been
badly injured in a motorcycle mishap.
Rhythm & Blues, Rock & Roll and Soul
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In the late ‘50s early ‘60s the American music contained
numerous artistic styles – Rhythm & Blues, Rock & Roll and
Soul.
Rhythm & Blues, a precursor to Rock & Roll came of age after
World War Two. Artists like Ray Charles and James Brown were
R&B stylists who helped the pre-dominantly African-American
sound reach a wider audience.
Soul music evolved from R&B it had a smoother, more pop
friendly groove.
The Motown sound came from Detroit and featured artists such as
Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder and the Supremes – all regualar
acts in the music charts.
In California, the Beach Boys created a surf sound to represent
sunny L.A.
American Invasion of Great Britain
Before British bands invaded the U.S, American acts had invaded
Great Britain.
It started with American Jazz and Blues musicians, in the post
war years, touring the UK and bringing with them raw, rough cut
sounds.
It was not until Rock & Roll exploded in America that a torrent
of sounds and styles hit Britain.
1955 movie Blackboard Jungle featured Rock Around the Clock by
Bill Haley and the Comets, both were hugely popular.
Elvis hit the scene with Heartbreak Hotel and acts such as
Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Chuck Berry and
Buddy Holly, all R&R pioneers, elevated the popularity of the
music and inspired countless British musicians.
Meet the Beatles / Their First Visit / The Ed Sullivan Show
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The Beatles arrived in New York on Friday 7th February 1964.
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They were escorted into the Pan American Airlines building for
their press conference featuring over 200 sceptical reporters,
whilst outside 4000 fans waited to greet them.
Hoping for a warm reception, what they received was a sign of
things to come.
On Sunday 9th February the band appeared on the Ed Sullivan show
and broke broadcasting records as 73 million Americans tuned
in.
Having seen the hysteria surrounding the boy’s arrival
firsthand in Heathrow some months earlier, Ed Sullivan saw
their potential and had booked them for three shows.
The first visit lasted only two weeks but it was enough to
ignite Beatlemania; during this trip they went to three cities,
played three concerts and held dozens of interviews.
I Want to Hold Your Hand was entrenched in the number one chart
position.
The British Invasion….and the Blues
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Once the Beatles had found success, it paved the way for many
acts to follow suit.
 Solo artists, duos and bands from across the UK flooded the
American pop charts.
 Part of the American fascination was cultural; teens loved the
accents, fashions and new hairstyles. Musically, although the
roots were in America, British Rock sounds became increasingly
original.
 In the 60’s middle class households teenagers were allowed to
have separate bedrooms, which allowed them greater privacy than
in previous generations.
 This space became private domains, decorated with photos of
British Invasion artists.
 Photographs and record collections competed for space with
school books, scrap books and trinkets; while private
telephones were an added luxury.
 Whilst many groups followed the rock and pop route some chose
to follow the Bluesmen.
 The Rolling Stones took their name from a Muddy Waters song;
the Animals went to the top of the charts with House of the
Rising Sun, an old folk-blues standard.
 Bands such as Cream, Savoy Brown and Led Zeppelin continued the
Blues exploration until a new genre, Blues Rock emerged in the
late 60’s.
American Response
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The invasion unleashed a create music explosion that saw an
increase in guitar sales; fashions changed as long hair became
fashionable for men, the British flag became popular, a new
music press was born and new bands formed across the country.
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LA group The Byrds based their early sound on the Beatles. The
Beach Boys used Rubber Soul and Revolver as inspiration for Pet
Sounds.
Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead of San Francisco had
early roots in the Invasion. Whilst in Boston, The Standells
reflected the rawness of the Rolling Stones; and in Detroit
Motown acts started to interpret Beatles songs.
The Next Invasion
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There was no official end date to the British Invasion, however
many music historians point to the Beatles final concert in
Candlestick Park in Aug ‘66 as the most logical conclusion.
The Beatles became a studio based band that broadened rocks
creative reach with singles like Strawberry Fields Forever and
the album Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
There was however a second wave invasion.
Cream, Pink Floyd, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zeppelin,
The Small Faces, The Moody Blues, Procol Harlem alongside the
Rolling Stones, The Who and the Kinks ensured the second was
just as memorable.
End of exhibition