The Four Historic Ed Sullivan Shows featuring The Beatles [DVD]

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Beatles appeared four times on CBS' IThe Ed Sullivan Show/I in the US, and this two-disc set presents all four shows in their entirety. While one is tempted to skip through this collection to watch only the Fab Four's 20 performances, there is historic value in seeing Sullivan's complete programmes. With America reeling from the murder of a popular president, JFK, less than three months prior, the Beatles' Sullivan debut on February 9, 1964, ushered a renewing joy into the country's living rooms. The band kept it up another two weeks, sharing Sullivan's variety-show bills with the likes of impressionist Frank Gorshin, comedians Allen Rossi, future Monkee Davy Jones (in a scene from Oliver!) and sundry unrepentant vaudevillians, magicians and acrobats. Various problems with microphones and bad direction (one barely sees John Lennon during the first show) couldn't stop the magic, and by the time the band made a return trip in September 1965 to perform "Ticket to Ride", "Yesterday" and "Help" among others, the group's brilliance and wit outsized their television surroundings. --ITom Keogh/I

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2004-01-16 rating:
Nostalgically Fab
This is an important item for a completist fan of the fabs. All performances are shown from all 4 Ed Sullivam shows. The band plays live for all performances - and you see John infamously "playing" the keyboard with his elbows on "I'm Down". Since the performances are live, the recording highlights how simple sound production was as the time - for example, as the camera rises above Paul to focus in on Ringo, the drums actually get louder (as the mic was presumably located on the same boom!). brThe difference between the 1964 and 1965 performances is marked - both in the songs they play and their stage presence (and length of their hair!) they have visibly grown.brEd Sullivan has nothing but compliments to pour of the four and describes how well-behaved and charming they all are - this gives some small indication of how they weren't just about the music - they were so much more than that.brThe only complaint I have about the dvd is the length - be under no illusions - unless you want to watch 60's variety acts the length of genuine Beatle-related entertainment isn't that much (around half an hour) and some of the songs are duplicated. However, to witness the real start of Beatlemania and to demonstrate just how much the US bought into the Fab Four this is a truly fascinating and enjoyable (albeit comparatively expensive) purchase.

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