Today in 1964 the Beatles arrived in New York city to begin their first tour of America and to perform on the Ed Sullivan show just two days later on that Sunday (click here for story.) Ironically, it was a Friday back then also. (And here you thought history did not repeat itself!)
Their song I Want to Hold Your Hand had just hit Number 1 here in the States.
I remember how I gave Jackie Price money to buy that 45 for me because he was going to Lexington Park. When he returned home and gave me the above copy I ran across the road from his house to play it on my beat up record player.
Because my bedroom was directly above the store counter, I can recall Buzzy using the broom handle to bang on my bedroom floor and yell up to me “Turn that down.” Note that while this would be the first 45 that I ever purchased, it wouldn’t be the last time Buzzy ever yelled at me to “Turn that down.”
While the song’s lyrics were fairly simple, musically it was a little complex compared to what passed as rock and roll back then. This from Wiki:
The song is in the key of G major and lyrically opens two beats early with “Oh yeah, I’ll tell you something” with a D-B, B-D melody note drop and rise over an I (G) chord.[13] Controversy exists over the landmark chord that Lennon stated McCartney hit on the piano while they were composing the song. Marshall considers it is the minor vi (Em) chord (the third chord in the I–V7–vi (G–D7–Em) progression).[14] Everett is of the same opinion.[15] Pedler claims, however, that more surprising is the melody note drop from B to F♯ against a III7 (B7) chord on “understand”.[16] Music theorists are divided over whether this chord is a iii (Bm), a B major, or a B7 or even a B5 power chord with no major or minor defining third.[13]
The movie Jojo Rabbitt is nominated for several Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actress (Scarlett Johansson as the boy’s mom.) For its intro, it used the Beatles’ German version of I Want to Hold Your Hand.