Beatles 50yr Reunion ED Sullivan Show

[MJPease]

I have to say with much enthusiasm. I was one of the 70+ million that watched the Beatles invade America 50 years ago on the ED Sullivan show. The tribute and reunion minus two last night was almost as exciting as that night back when I was just a young child. As young as I was that night left an impact that has effected my entire life. I soon began showing an interest in playing the guitar and received one for Christmas that year and began lessons at Olivers School of Music. My favorite Beatle soon became Paul, there was something special about that Hofner that appealed to me. His bass lines were extraordinary and I soon decided to focus on becoming a bass player. The writing of Lennon and McCartney soon developed a complexity that was capable of reaching deep with in our hearts. Rubber Soul became my favorite album upon it's release playing it over and over just to absorb the lyrics. For me even today it's still a masterpiece. In 1967 while in High School I put my own group together I named it "Shades Of Mind" Yeah! I was playing a Hofner and we were covering some Beatles tunes Rascals, Chambers Brothers, Doors, Iron Butterfly, and eventually became a blues party jam band on the weekends. That got us in a lot of trouble at times. We had a practice hall set up with a stage in a commercial office building on Harlem Rd. in Cheektowaga, NY. We usually would have closed practices but for some reason we decided to invite a few girls and close friends to an open practice kind of an open mic. We put a close friend at the door in hopes of limiting the amount of people and types that would get in. Our suite was on the second floor farthest away from the entrance. Well things got out of hand. There was a lot of unsupervised high school students raising holy hell in an office bldg. All of a sudden it came to our attention something was terribly wrong. Some girls were in the Lady's room and one or two of them decided to sit on the sink to chit chat or what ever. The sink broke off of the wall and started to flood the second floor, eventually flooding the first floor. Did I already say the band got us in trouble at times. Our drummer Rick M. was no longer allowed in the band by his parents and finished out his school years at Stella Niagara Military School. My grandmother threatened me with the same fate. The band eventually fragmented as we tried out new drummers. I got totally discouraged did a complete about face and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 70. That was the end of "Shades Of Mind" but not my love for the Beatles or playing guitar. I no longer own that Hofner or the Fender Bassman or Ampeg B-12 I unfortunately sold them before I left for Parris Island. I've replaced that equipment and the guitars with many that I still own today. I wish I still had the Hofner. I've reconnected with our Guitar player on Facebook and Mike B. still has his original Guild Starfire, he regrets selling his Fender Super Reverb.
I guess by now you can tell what the tribute did for me. What did it do for you?

[bags123]

I remember standing in the lunch room in 6th grade when I first heard "I want to hold your hand" by the Beatles. Changed my life.