How Beatlemania Began (Conversation)
Authors: John Babcock, Al Wiman, Roger Christian; Lead vocals: John Babcock, Al Wiman, Roger Christian

IT STARTED IN LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND. A SOUND, A FEELING, AN EMOTION. IT STARTED IN LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND AND SWEPT UP THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD. AND WHILE ADULTS SPEAKING IN MANY FOREIGN LANGUAGES LOOKED ON IT ALL, FOUR YOUNG BOYS FROM A POOR BRITISH SEAPORT SLUM TOWN, THEIR HAIR STYLE A HARMLESS DEFIANCE OF CONVENTION, THEIR MUSICAL STYLE BRASH, EARNED RENOWN WHICH THEY HAD NEVER DREAMED OF AND PERHAPS NEVER REALLY WANTED. THE BEATLES HAD EVEN PICKED A NAME WHICH DEFIED AND CHALLENGED ACCEPTANCE. THEIR VERY SUCCESS, IRONICALLY, SEEMS TO DEFEAT THEIR 'I DON'T CARE' PHILOSOPHY. BUT THROUGH IT ALL, CONFUSED AT TIMES, PERHAPS A LITTLE FRIGHTENED AT TIMES, THEY'VE CLINGED TO THEIR IDENTITY AND GROWN CLOSER TO ONE ANOTHER. FROM SUCH ROMANTIC SOUNDING OF THE DANK APPEARING LIVERPOOL CLUBS AS 'THE CAVERN' OR 'IRON DOOR' WHERE THE SMELL OF SEA WATER MIXES WITH THE ODOUR OF CIGGIES, NOW COME THE SOUND-ALIKES, THE SINGING AND SCREAMING JUNIOR AUXILIARIES OF BRITAIN' S STORIED ANGRY MEN BUT ALWAYS UP FRONT, GEORGE, PAUL, JOHN AND RINGO, A QUARTET OF MUSICAL REBELLION WHO MAKE NO EFFORT TO CHARM BUT STRANGELY ENOUGH BY THAT VERY ACT CHARM THEIR MOST SEVERE CRITICS, AND
LIKE PIED PIPERS, THEIR FANS ARE LEGION BUT THEIR CULTIST REACTION A PHENOMENA.


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