Customer Reviews

The Four Complete Historic Ed Sullivan Shows featuring the Beatles and other Artists

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4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This 2 disc set provides a most wonderful glimpse of an important time in both music and television history. Most notably, it contains the three full length shows (along with commercials) that were integral in the Beatles' first visit to the United States. The Beatles perform their chart toppers in the U.S. including "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," "From Me To You," and "Please Please Me." The set also includes a most intriguing (and complete) 1965 show where you can clearly see the group's growth as songwriters. The 1965 song set consists of "I'm Down," "Ticket to Ride," and "Help." This is a long way in a relatively short time from "All My Loving" and "From Me To You." The first show is the one most treasured by fans, and it obviously is a must-see. Viewing the complete show allows you to better appreciate the magnitude and importance of the Beatles appearance in the U.S. However, ALL of the shows provide an amazing look at popular music during this time. Performances by Mitzi Gaynor, Cab Calloway, and the original brodway cast of Oliver (including Davy Jones who later became a member of the Monkees) are incredible and historical. Cilla Black (also managed by Brian Epstein) performs two enjoyable numbers.

One interesting note about the entire set is that you might get a feel for the generation gap that existed in America at that time and what impact the Beatles had on whom Ed Sullivan called "youngsters." Performances by Acker Bilk, Tessie O'Shea (from England), and Gordon & Sheila McCrae show us what most adults who tuned in to Sullivan were listening to. The Beatles clearly went against the grain. As one famous person noted, "Suddenly, there were the Beatles and everybody else. And everybody else just looked wrong." As you see the younger generation embrace the Beatles, references to Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and even Dave Barry's comedy routine (on disc 3) seem like something that only the "old folks" would be interested in and perhaps considered very "square." Suddenly, the younger generation has decided what they like and what they would listen to. Soon after the Beatles first visit, Sullivan would be sure to always include "something for the youngsters."

Historic and classic comedy routines by Allen & Rossi, Morcombe & Wise (also from England), and Soupy Sales are enjoyable to watch as well. The novelty acts are quaint and somewhat amusing, but nevertheless important because they were an integral part of Sullivan's shows. The real importance of these discs lies in the music and musical productions.

The only drawback to the set is that it leaves Beatle fans hungry for more in the sense that now we want "the story behind the story." Davy Jones mentioned his inability to leave the wings during the broadcast because he was so enraptured by the Beatles' performance and how he suddenly realized that he wanted a future in a band. McCall & Brill, who perform a comedy skit on the first show, have told of their experience that Sunday night. Ed Sullivan hated their skit and wanted them to switch to another routine just before they hit the air. They panicked and didn't know what to do. By chance, they met the Beatles backstage while John Lennon was looking for a Coca-Cola. All of the Beatles made them feel more at ease and they went ahead with the routine, but Sullivan was not pleased. You'll notice that he does not call them over to shake hands, which is what Sullivan usually did with the acts he truly liked. It would have been nice to see interviews with reflections from those involved in the production of the first show.

There are naturally some technical glitches once in a while but they are really not noticable. The shows are in glorious black and white and the audio is at its best. If you are a Beatle fan, this is definitely a must-buy. If you're not, but have a longing for musical variety programs once again, this set is still classic and enjoyable.

This DVD collection is an example of why the simplist approach is often the best way to present an historic event. The four "Ed Sullivan" programs featuring the Beatles are shown 99% complete. Unlike many DVD issues, there are no clever edits or extras. But these shows stand on their own. Not only do you see the Beatles in glorious black and white, but you also get the other acts (many quite entertaining) and Sullivan's classic introductions. By having unedited versions of each show, one can truly experience what 73 million viewers saw all those years ago. For those who saw the shows when they first aired, the DVD will bring back wonderful memories. For those who weren't even born in 1964, it will give an accurate picture about what all the excitement was about. It is a true pleasure to see each Beatles performance in its entirety without any anoying voiceovers. I don't need or want anyone telling me about the importance of these performances. I just want to sit back and enjoy the magic of the Beatles as captured by the CBS television network in 1964. The camera work is excellent throughout, particularly on "I Want To Hold Your Hand," which efectively mixes long shots, close-ups, crowd shots and a move in and out on Ringo by a mobile crane camera. There are a few glitches on the sound balance on a few performances (originating from the original broadcasts), but this does not lessen the impact or excitement of the songs. The DVD sound and picture quality is superb. The DVD is indexed by performance so you have the option to skip the other acts and just watch the Beatles. My soon to be published book, "The Beatles Are Coming! The Birth of Beatlemania in America," covers the three 1964 shows in great detail. But while words and photographs can explain the magic and significance of these shows, the only way to truly experience it is to watch this DVD. This is an absolute must for every Beatles fan or anyone interested in learning why the Beatles took America by storm in 1964.

I have all of the other Beatles DVD's and this is the only one with the I Feel Fine, I'm Down, Yesterday, Ticket To Ride performances from 1965. Shortly after this, the Beatles stopped performing live.

For John Lennon fans, this is a priceless piece of what many of us liked best of John's days as the smart, fun, confident Beatle. It also takes many of us back to the Ed Sullivan Sunday evenings of our youth.

I too paid much more for this when it was a private Sullivan label issue. It was worth it then, at this price there is no question! It is fantastic that these shows have been packaged together in their basically original form. Sure, it would have been even nicer had they included the Florida rehearsal show and later video clips that aired. But, that this was released at all, and in this nice of quality, I'm very happy with it as it is. You get to see history in the making all over again, and this DVD brings back a lot of forgotten memories--if you are old enough to remember those times.

Some of the other acts presented are surprisingly bad by current standards (much worse than what you see now on amateur shows) but that just puts The Beatles into more perspective of how special they were in that time, and continue to be into the future. You also get to see very young pre-Monkee Davy Jones perform with the Oliver cast. Considering all the other bad and dodgey quality "Beatles" DVDs being offered now, this one by far should rise to everyone's must have list.

Thanks to Apple for not finding some way or excuse to sue and stop this, or forcing them to put new interview bits over top of the performances. See what we can get when people that actually seem to care a LITTLE about the fans are in charge! Just think what could be if fans really were in charge of released material.

I don't know why it took me so long to buy the Ed Sullivan Beatles Shooos! These performances are some of the most important in The Beatles' careers, and the most significant in the history of Rock and Roll!

Of course, the first appearance on Ed's show on Feb. 9, 1964 is the defining moment for the band's conquest of America... and the two subsequent shows filmed over the course of the next couple weeks are a large part of The Beatles' first visit to the country. But, I bought this colection primarily for the 1965 show.

Appearing on Ed's show only weeks after their historical concert at Shea Stadium, and just before they were to go into the studio to record "Rubber Soul", this show represents The Beatles at the time in their careers where they were just about to peak as performers and recording artists.

The first three songs they play are "I Feel Fine", "I'm Down", and "Act Naturally". The second half of the show kicks off with "Ticket To Ride" with an extended intro to accomodate some "artsy" special camera effects (their profiles super-imposed one-by-one over the shot of the entire band). Pretty tame by today's standards. But, in retrospect, it sure showed how the times were-a-changing and getting more creative on all fronts of the entertainment realm.

Included are the entire shows - all of Ed's other guests as well as some hilarious TV commercials for Lipton tea, Anacin, and Pillsbury cakes and breads! Not only is this DVD collection a treasure trove for Beatles fans, but also for vintage advertising buffs!

I found that watching the entire shows offered an excellent vantage point into American society in the mid-1960's... and how The Beatles fit into the whole panorama of what was going on here during that era. The next time I watch, I will probably just skip the other acts and go straight to The Beatles' performances.... and a few of the commercials, of course!

For those who were there, these will be a wonderful trip down memory lane, among other things. For those who were not, it will afford you the chance to see things as they once were, and appreciate even more fully what a creative force The Beatles were in the 60's... and why they continue to be a driving force today.

I am old enough to claim that the Beatles were still technically a group when I was born. But I wasn't one of the millions upon millions of people who saw these shows when they were originally broadcast. Considering so many people (listeners, fans, musicians, journalists) all agree that this was a pinnacle moment for them, the shows themselves had been pretty much hidden from public view since they aired. I had seen the clips of them playing in the "Anthology" and other documentaries. I thought their performances were fun, but I never had a feeling of how they fit in with contemporary 1964 culture and why it was all such a big deal.
Until now.
The two-set DVD has the four Ed Sullivan shows, complete with commercials, from February, 1964 and September, 1965. All I can say is... wow. The shows themselves feature a variety of acts, but they all share one thing in common: they are all totally lame compared to the Beatles. Mitzi Gaynor singing "It's Too Darn Hot"? Yikes! The comedy musings of Dave Barry? Oh dear. I can commiserate all too well with the Anacin commerical as it intones, "pain... pain... pain..."
Okay, maybe I'm being a little harsh here. I did enjoy Tessie O'Shea. She's not cool and she's not trying to be. She's just having fun and it's infectious as she belts her way through a bunch of old standards. The bit from "Oliver!" was cute (see the young Davy Jones, later of Monkees fame) and it was historically amusing to see Sonny Liston take a bow as the "heavyweight champion of the world"... when we know he will be knocked out by Cassius Clay the following week.
You begin to understand how much of a shock the Beatles were to the national psyche. Long hair? Maybe not from today's standards, but look at what everyone else looks like on these shows! Music? Well, today Beatles music is all mixed up on the radio, played against songs made some 10 - 20 years after their debut. Here, you can see what they were up against at the moment... and they just blow the doors off of everyone including Cilla Black, one of their contemporaries.
The video is clearest on the clips that feature the Beatles (as you would imagine). The rest varies. Some looks a bit blurred and there are some analog tracking issues. Well, the videotape is 40 years old, in a format that has been dead for at least 20 years. It's probably a miracle that the shows look as clean as they do. The sound is pretty good, but keep in mind that these were live performances. And "TV" and "hi-fidelity" didn't exactly go hand in hand in 1964. The second show in "Myamuh Beach" has some serious audio defects, but that's how it sounded then. I enjoyed the live performances, warts and all. Unlike a lot of shows from the 1960's, the performances on Ed Sullivan were live rather than lip-synched.
DVD extras? Not a one. The shows themselves are the extras. There's no documentaries necessary, no secondary audio channel needed to explain the phenomenon, it's just, "Ladies and Gentlemen... the Beatles".
And really, that's all you need in the end.

Ed Sullivan, variety television host notorious for saying "shoe" instead of show was the man who brought the Beatles to American television. Viewers are treated to the February 9 and 16th 1964 viewings of the Beatles, newly arrived in America regaling their audience with songs such as "She Loves You," "Twist & Shout," "Please Please Me" and other early hits. (The Beatles were filmed on February 9, 1964 and their act was divided among the following week). As a bonus treat, you get to see artists who shared the hour with the Beatles and you see the Beatles do a special show in Miami for Ed Sullivan, filmed on February 17, 1964. The Fabs engage in some fun banter and the best part was when they harmonized the beautiful classic, "This Boy." I just LOVE that!

For the 1965 video, you get the other acts as you do on the 1964 disc. You see the other artists who shared billing with the Beatles. You get to see Soupy Sales acting a fool in 1965 with his campy, hilariously funny song, "The Mouse." On the show filmed August 14, 1965 and aired September 12, 1965 you are treated to "Help!," "Act Naturally," "I Feel Fine," "Ticket to Ride" and George introducing Paul, who does a solo of "Yesterday." Fans are at no loss for a Beatle cornucopia of treats with this set.

I bought this collection when it was an Internet and television-only special offer through the official Ed Sullivan site. It was twice the cost of what it's going for now, but was still a bargain. This is a wonderful time capsule of four hours of network television from 1964 and 1965.

I can't believe that some other reviewers are complaining about the inclusion of all the other Sullivan acts and the commercials. First, did they even READ the Amazon.com description of the product?? ["A great concept: The Beatles appeared four times on CBS' The Ed Sullivan Show, and 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 programs."]

Second, if you're a die-hard Beatles fan THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT. Every single live Beatles performance aired from the stages of the Ed Sullivan show, placed within the context of the original airings. And none of the performances truncated, as they are on many other collections and in subsequent television airings.

And, guess what? With the wonderful state-of-the-art, cutting-edge technology of DVD, if you don't like the other performances you can go right to the Beatles songs directly from the menu. No fast forwarding! ISN'T TECHNOLOGY WONDERFUL?? Hey, hey! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!!!

A few words of advice: Buy it. Now. The Beatles, unlike the people running the Elvis Presley enterprise, are notorious for being concerned about the amount of product on the market. You never know when something of theirs will go out of print, or how long it will take to come back into print. (Remember the long-gone "Rock and Roll Music" and "Love Songs" albums ... or the many years that "Live at the BBC" was out of print?) Yes, I know it's a SOFA production and not Apple, but who knows how much Apple's blessing had to do with this DVD's appearance on the market?

And just what have some people got against Soupy Sales doing "The Mouse" anyway???"

This DVD is a pop culture history lesson that can't be missed, whether you're an older fan wanting to reminisce, or a newly minted Beatlemaniac enjoying for the very first time. The Beatles convey such enthusiasm and talent in their performances and are just as electrifying as they were forty years ago. It's not hard to see why the world still loves the Fab Four.

All four episodes are shown in their entirety, plus commercials. The inclusion of the commercials add a sense of "authenticity" and are just as fun to watch as the program itself. As for the other acts, some of them are clunkers, but most are very entertaining. Highlights include Soupy Sales, Frank Gorshin, and Allan and Rossi. Also fun to watch is the audience: despite being surrounded by the Beatlemania hurricane, some adults and kids are sitting stone-faced!

Regarding picture and sound quality, both discs are great, although in certain parts it seems like there's been some wear and tear over the years. (Nothing too distracting, though.) Overall, this is essential for any Beatle collection. A+

When I first saw this DVD,I had to have it.It includes the Beatles four appearances on Ed Sullivan.Each DVD is two complete shows,including commercials,which are a hoot in these politically correct times.For me , the opening with "All My Loving"as the kick off , is a highlight.But,the best is from their second appearance when they sing "This Boy" with John,Paul & George grouped around a single microphone singing unbelievable tight and beautiful harmony and playing their guitars and bass.Some of the other acts on these shows are not exactly what I'd call scintillating entertainment , but , The Beatles' performances more than make up for them.All in all a great historical document that gives the lie once and for all to the opinion that The Fabs were not a good live band.A great DVD.Buy it!!!!!